Election of first female leader highlights Taiwan’s sexism
Print Edition
ONCE derided as unfit for leadership because she was a “skirt-wearer,” the election of Tsai Ing-wen as Taiwan’s first female leader is fuelling hopes the island can break free of the entrenched sexism rooted in its traditional culture.
The 59-year-old swept to power with a landslide victory last Saturday.
Tsai, who leads the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has said Britain’s first woman prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, is one of her inspirations.
“Tsai’s election is a landmark for the women’s rights movement in Taiwan,” said DPP lawmaker Yu Mei-nu, also a women’s rights lawyer.
But while her victory is an illustration of the march of women into politics in the last 20 years, sexist slurs during recent and past campaigns put the spotlight on antiquated views that still run through Taiwan’s politics and society.
Taiwan has a high number of women participating in politics but at the same time they face challenges due to a legacy of a cultural tradition that favors boys over girls, and pushes women’s roles as primarily that of caregiving.
Tsai has frequently been criticized for being unmarried and had to bat away questions about her sexuality.
Rival election candidate James Soong was forced to apologize over a post on his party’s Facebook page during recent campaigning which asked: “How can single women understand the needs of a family?”
The head of a minor conservative party also accused Tsai of being “dangerous” because single people make “extreme” decisions.
Such attacks were nothing new for Tsai — even from her own party: A senior DPP official questioned her ability to lead, saying a “skirt-wearer was unfit” to take the helm.
Things are changing — the once critical DPP official openly endorsed Tsai’s candidacy this time and Soong’s comments triggered public fury — but there is a long way to go.
“Taiwan isn’t as conservative as before, but deep-rooted chauvinistic views in our patriarchal culture can’t be overturned right away,” says Chiang Yueh-chin, head of a women’s rights group.
Tsai has given little detail of her personal life, but did respond after questions on her sexuality ahead of her first leadership bid in 2012.
“I am not angry, it doesn’t bother me,” she said at the time. “I hope society will give more space to single women, more understanding, more respect and more tolerance.”
Tsai is skilled in negotiation and her domestic platform revolves largely around the island’s economic woes.
“Some of the women’s issues are tied into wider economic and social policies. As a leader she will decide on broad policy direction and I believe she will be promoting gender equality,” lawmaker Yu said.
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