TAIPEI, Taiwan — In recent weeks, a wave of #MeToo accusations has forced a new reckoning on the state of women’s rights on this democratic island which has long prided itself as being among the most progressive places in Asia.
New allegations emerge almost every day, with activists calling for greater protections for victims.
In many ways, Taiwan stands out for significant progress made by the women who helped elect the island’s first female president and strengthened laws against rape and sexual assault. But the spate of new allegations points to what activists and experts say is entrenched sexism that leaves women vulnerable and a culture that is quick to blame victims and cover up for powerful men.
The spate of complaints was sparked by a popular Netflix drama about Taiwanese politics titled “Wave Makers,” which featured a subplot about a political party member telling her boss that she had been sexually harassed by a high-ranking member. party rank. Her boss, in an indication of how often such complaints are ignored, says, “Let’s not let this slide this time.”
That quote from the fictional supervisor inspired more than 100 whistleblowers, mostly women, to speak out on social media, sharing their accounts of unwanted kissing, groping and, in some cases, attempted rape.
The stakes are high for President Tsai Ing-wen’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party. Senior party and government officials were among the first to be accused of harassment, forcing Tsai to apologize twice for mishandling internal grievances. by his party. The criticism goes against the party’s record as a champion of liberal values, which includes legalizing same-sex marriage in 2019 and giving gay couples the right to adopt this year. And it poses risks to his credibility among younger voters ahead of next year’s presidential election.
Among those accused of harassment is Yen Chih-fa, who denied the accusation but resigned from his post as an adviser to President Tsai. Tsai Mu-lin, a high-level party official, has been accused of intimidating a party staffer into silence when she reported that a colleague of hers had tried to break into her hotel room. Tsai, who is not related to the President, has already resigned.
“This movement has taught me that no injustice should be swallowed,” said Chen Wen-hsuan, the woman who accused him. “After all, we can’t ignore this.”
By: AMY CHANG CHIEN
BBC-NEWS-SRC: http://www.nytsyn.com/subscribed/stories/6781544, IMPORTING DATE: 2023-06-28 22:40:07
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