NGO CSW 64: Taiwan Gender Equality Week

Taiwan will be holding Taiwan Gender Equality Week during NGO CSW 64 and you must check it out! Taiwan is a friendly island country, where women’s political and economical participation is pretty high and nearly all sorts of women’s rights are protected by civil and penal laws. We are also №1 in Asia to legalize Same-sex Marriage.

In Taiwan Gender Equality Week there will be thematic exhibitions and NGOs’ side events that demonstrate Taiwan’s efforts to follow SDG 5 and connect to the world! Join us in NGO CSW 64 @NY!

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Soapbox: Voice of Youth

On March 13, young advocates from Taiwan will share with you their innovative action plans with gender-responsive methods and why they have become actors making real change to the society. Don’t hesitate to join us at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza; it’s just around the corner!

Location: Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza (3 minute walk from the UN)
Time: 12:15~13:15, March 13

Let us briefly introduce the young advocates below:

1. Gender-Based Violence Prevention Center, LGBTQ+ Services by the Garden of Hope Foundation

Nearly half of the people in LGBTQ+ community have experienced gender-based violence, according to a survey conducted by Garden of Hope, Taiwan. In 2019 GOH opened the Gender-based Violence Prevention Center to serve victims of intersectional discriminations including domestic violence and sexual violence, and those who experienced discrimination on the grounds of their race, disability, gender, economic status, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

Until now, the Center has served 38 cases with more than 11,000 service times. Following the conservative backlash of legalization of same-sex marriage, the Center focuses on helping LGBTQ+ people who suffered gender-based violence, including economic control, threats, verbal or physical bullying at school, the workplace or home.

2. Women’s Federation for World Peace — Taiwan

Our goal is to share the innovative family-friendly solutions in Taiwan, bring in global practices, and reach out for cooperation beyond borders.

Encouraging inclusive economic development helps bridge economic, social and environmental gaps for sustainable development. The implementation of the family-friendly policy is the key driver of economic growth and the social progress of gender equality. We will be sharing innovative cases in Taiwan that help implement family-friendly programs in businesses like the website FlexibleJobs（得人資源整合） & 5% Design Action. Both of the cases build great public-private partnerships and help foster supportive family-friendly workplaces.

3. Sexter: Sex Education for Youngsters

Nearly 80% of people have been through sexual harassment in Taiwan, and mostly the situations happen on children are even hard to escape. However, there is a traditional misconception saying that the way to keep kids and teens safe is ignorance which we totally disagree. We believe that creating a chat bot with sex knowledge for them as a learning opportunity could actually protect them or at least offering them ways to seek for helps. Therefore, we design the chat bot from teens’ perspective, including all the questions, resources and even wordings. Moreover, we also hold design thinking workshops called “Future imagination about reproductive and health” and try to open more conversation about sex between teens.

We Are Sexter, We Do Sex Education for Youngsters

Nearly 80% of people have the experience of being sexually harassed in Taiwan and children and teenagers are even more vulnerable under this situation. However, it is believed that how we could keep children away from sexual harassment is keeping them ignorant of any knowledge about sex and reproductive health.

We totally disagree and we want to make some change. We believe that offering correct information about sex and gender for the young is actually the way to protect them, at least they can seek help if they encounter sexual harassment.

Therefore, we designed a chatbot, form which teenagers can get sexual knowledge, resources, and even wordings. We also held Future Imagination of Sex Education Workshop and invited high school student to discuss with us on what they really need through sex and gender education.

4. HERd

HERd is Her voice calling to end discrimination and stereotype.

The two main projects we are activating are Period education and Fashion freedom.

In Taiwan, periods are not discussed enough. We therefore hold workshop in elementary school teaching correct knowledge and ways to make cloth pads.

Secondly, how girls dress up is often restricted and judged in our society. On the belief of freedom for oneself and acting against victim blaming, we took photos in front of iconic Taiwan attractions to advocate for freedom. We also call out to girls in every corner to join our shoot.

5. Making A Little Change on Women’s Economic Status with Industrial Design Profession

I’m Jess, a student with creative industries design background. I demand equal economic rights and eco-friendly society.

Global challenges such as those related to inequality and environmental degradation, such as cloth waste, food waste, and women’s economic rights are getting more severe in recent days. I plan to recruit women returners to make reusable school bags for children in rural areas, which aim to improve the status quo of food waste and cloth waste. This bag’s materials come from stock cloth, the dye of patterns come from surplus food, and women returners play the role of sewing manpower.

Other articles in this issue

Technology with a Gender Perspective: Smart Agriculture

Technology and digital tools can help lighten the burden for women to participate in the agricultural sector. Let’s take a look at how digitalization can benefit women in agriculture in Taiwan!

Be Not Afraid of Science: Dr. Chia-Li Wu

Being a scientist and a feminist at the same time, Dr. Wu has been encouraging young women and girls into science. She is also one of the founders of the first network of women scientists in Taiwan.

Injecting New Life into Ailing Bodies and Companies: Dr. Sherry Ku

Dr. Sherry Ku encourages young women in STEM to fight for what they deserve with her own experience, which teaches her a lesson that never let your gender limit you.