As gender equality policies are gradually being implemented, the protection of the rights and interests of the nation's women has improved day by day, Premier Jiang Yi-huah stated today.
The premier made these remarks after a briefing at today's Cabinet meeting by the Executive Yuan's Department of Gender Equality (DGE) on the results and future prospects of the nation's effort to implement the United Nations' Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
The proportion of women receiving higher education as well as females' labor participation rate, average salary, political and social participation, and economic security have all increased year by year, Jiang explained. Moreover, the sex discrepancy in the nation's birthrate has been steadily reduced.
The premier pointed out that the collaborative efforts of the DGE, various ministries and local governments in promoting CEDAW and gender-equality policies have borne fruit in such areas as the government's recent promotion of allowances for unpaid parental leave, breastfeeding, public nurseries, paternity leave, family care leave, flexible work hours and long-term care, among others. Such family-friendly measures are on the rise every year and have greatly reduced the burden on mothers.
However, despite governmental efforts to align all national laws and regulations with CEDAW, some were found by the latest comprehensive review to still exhibit gender stereotypes, the premier noted. Areas that infringe on CEDAW regulations include discrepancies of treatment of men's and women's work and property rights, violation of women's right to bodily autonomy, and emphasis on a patrilineal family system. The premier enjoined all levels of government to speedily accomplish the revisions of relevant laws and regulations to ensure complete compliance.
This June, the Executive Yuan is inviting foreign experts for an international panel review of Taiwan's second national report on progress made on CEDAW implementation. Jiang asked the DGE to thoroughly plan and prepare for this event and directed various ministries to send senior officials to attend it and respond to the experts' comments so as to facilitate the joint execution of the convention.
Turning CEDAW into domestic law is a major milestone in the ROC's promotion of gender equality which is bringing protection of Taiwanese women's rights up to international standards, Executive Yuan officials said. Promoting women's rights and gender equality has become a universal value, and the Executive Yuan will continue to coordinate efforts by ministries and local governments to implement relevant measures.
The objective of this campaign is to safeguard Taiwanese women's rights in politics, society, economy, employment, culture, education, health, law, family and personal safety, while allowing people of all genders to develop according to their interests and talents and building a gender-equal, happy society.
To read Taiwan's second national report on the CEDAW, please visit the Gender Equality Committee's Chinese-language website: http://www.gec.ey.gov.tw/