MOFA stages 1st forum on international gender equality development

2018/09/28

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs staged its first forum on international gender equality development Sept. 26 in Taipei City to share the latest global strategies and trends with local officials and nongovernmental organizations.
 
 Ambassador-at-Large Fan Yun and Minister without Portfolio Lo Ping-cheng delivered addresses on Taiwan’s efforts to advance women’s and LGBT rights, areas for further improvement, and successful practices in like-minded countries around the world.
 
 In his opening remarks, MOFA Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu said that Taiwan’s recent achievements in promoting gender equality and same-sex rights have garnered growing international recognition. The country is committed to deepening this progress by studying innovative measures adopted overseas in fields spanning education, law and medicine, he added.
 
 According to Fan, realizing gender equality and empowering women and girls are globally accepted objectives, as evidenced by their inclusion in the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Taiwan has made considerable headway across such areas as female participation in politics and decision-making, while further efforts are required in aspects like breaking down stereotypes, she said.
 
 Fan advocated enhancing Taiwan’s role in strengthening gender equality around the world by fostering long-term collaboration with foreign NGOs and hosting more international forums.
 
 In his address, Lo shared findings from a delegation he led in June to Denmark, Finland and Sweden—the top three countries in the EU Gender Equality Index. The concept is deeply ingrained in these societies, as demonstrated by large numbers of unisex public facilities and high levels of occupational equality, he said, adding that Taiwan should seek to emulate these achievements.
 
 On the home front, Lo spotlighted the Constitutional Court interpretation in 2017 declaring that provisions of the Civil Code forbidding same-sex marriages violate the people’s freedom of marriage and right to equality as guaranteed by the constitution. The court instructed the Legislature to amend or enact relevant laws within two years.
 
 This ruling demonstrates Taiwan’s commitment to the universal values of freedom and human rights and provides a foundation for further promoting equal treatment of the LGBT demographic, Lo said.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=10&post=142334)