At an award ceremony today honoring local governments for outstanding achievements in gender equality, Premier Lin Chuan said that gender equality concepts must take hold throughout Taiwan society.
Speaking at the 15th Golden Carnation Awards ceremony in Taipei, held prior to the upcoming International Women's Day (March 8), the premier said that last year for the first time the Executive Yuan toured all 22 cities and counties in Taiwan to examine their efforts and progress in this area.
Equality is the most prominent value of a civilized society, and no one should suffer discrimination or unfair treatment on the basis of gender, religious belief, ethnicity or cultural background. The problem of gender equality is the most easily overlooked because it is so pervasive, so everyone must work together to protect this universal value, Premier Lin said.
People will adapt their behavior to the existing social system, but a new system cannot be built until mindsets are changed. It is important, therefore, to promote concepts and forge a consensus to create a social system, especially in today's democratic society, he said.
Changing people's ideas is a time-consuming process because concepts are often shaped by life experiences, the premier noted. On the other hand, new concepts are more easily absorbed, so reformers should plant the ideas of gender equality more firmly throughout society while correcting improper ideas arising from existing systems.
Government efforts to promote gender equality will hopefully encourage private enterprises to create a gender-friendly working environment, he said. Many reports show that labor force participation declines drastically among women ages 30 and over, which means these women shoulder the burden of an unequal and unfriendly environment. This is a serious social issue that can only be resolved by a breakthrough in changing existing concepts.
Although Taiwan has much room for improvement in the gender equality area, it has performed well compared with other Asian countries, the premier said. He expressed hope that Taiwan will do even better in the future, and set an example for the rest of the world.