Premier Jiang Yi-huah today hosted a meeting of the Gender Equality Commission (GEC). He affirmed the GEC's efforts, urged agencies to continue proactively integrating gender equality concepts into their administration and called for the cultivation of girls' potential and leadership abilities.
The premier was briefed about the government's gender equality policy framework, the Enforcement Act of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (henceforth referred to as "the Act"), the Action Plan for Enhancement of Girls' Rights and the nation's participation in international meetings such as the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The 2014-2017 gender mainstreaming implementation plan for Executive Yuan agencies was also passed at the meeting.
The Act stipulates that within three years of its effective date of January 1, 2012, all government units should review all their rules, regulations and administrative measures to confirm they are in accordance with the Convention and subsequently amend or abolish any which are not. To date, over 30,000 rules, regulations and measures have been reviewed.
The government is also required by the Act to deliver a quadrennial national report on its progress in eliminating all forms of discrimination against women. Its first such report was released in 2009, and the second is due the end of this year. In addition to planning and coordinating with other agencies to prepare this document, the GEC invited private organizations dedicated to women's issues and gender equality to hold 11 seminars and public hearings to speak on related issues.
Jiang thanked GEC members for their efforts and guidance for these projects and emphasized that they must be completed on schedule. The GEC will hold an extraordinary meeting in November and release the quadrennial national report at year's end.
In accordance with international standards, the ROC has promoted gender mainstreaming since 2005, and Executive Yuan agencies have actively taken part in it. The Yuan's four-year (2014-2017) implementation plan passed at this meeting especially emphasizes the integration of gender equality concepts into administration to ensure substantive fairness.
With the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Foundation of Women's Rights Promotion and Development and other agencies, an ROC delegation of GEC and women's organization members participated in the annual CSW session at the UN Headquarters in New York City this March as well as a number of concurrent nongovernmental organization side events. The Taiwanese representatives shared the nation's experiences, particularly in preventing gender-based violence, at these meetings. Jiang thanked these representatives for their contributions.
The UN has called for nations to invest in girls' futures and respect their rights, and it has named October 11 the International Day of the Girl Child. To promote girls' rights with respect to physical health, education, culture, personal safety, media, traditions and customs, the GEC has promoted the Action Plan for Enhancement of Girls' Rights, and the Ministry of the Interior has named October 11 Taiwan Girls Day.
As the theme of this year's International Day of the Girl Child is "Innovating for Girls' Education," the premier asked agencies to invest in and cultivate girls' potential and leadership abilities, work together to advance girls' rights and inform the world of the nation's achievements in this area.
During the meeting, several civic organization members expressed concern about the personal safety of temporary laborers at their workplaces. In response, the premier instructed the Council of Labor Affairs and other relevant agencies to expedite the development of measures to protect these workers.
In addition, a number of citizens touched on legal regulations on surrogate motherhood. Jiang told the Ministry of Health and Welfare to publicize information about surrogacy law creation and revision. "The MOHW should gather an extensive collection of opinions about this issue, and it must weigh gender factors," he advised.