Gender Equity Education Act (Taiwan)
Encyclopedia
Gender Equity Education Act of Republic of China
was announced on 2004 June. The General Provisions states the purposes of the act: "to promote substantive gender equality
, eliminate gender discrimination, uphold human dignity, and improve and establish education resources and environment of gender equality. "
All competent authorities and schools shall have a "gender equity education committee", whose tasks include promoting curricula, teaching, and assessments on gender equity education.
At least half of the members of such a committee shall be women, and at least two thirds of the members shall be experts in the area.
This chapter specifically defines "sexual assault or sexual harassment on campus" as "sexual assault or sexual harassment that involves the school principal, faculty, staff or student as one party and student as the other party", separate these events from others.
The Enforcement Rules for the act further states that gender equity education curricula shall cover "affective education, sex education
, and gay and lesbian education".
s of primary and high schools on language and social science, and concluded them full of gender stereotypes.
1996, following then policy of educational reforms, Awakening Foundation presented the Education Reform Council of Executive Yuan
with five demands:
The first four demands became the content of Gender Equity Education Act.
In the end of the same year, Sexual Assault Prevention Act was passed quickly because of the shock of the rape-murder case of a feminist Peng Wan-ru
. The act states that primary and high schools shall have "gender equality education". This is the legal basis of Gender Equity Education Act. In March 1997, Ministry of Education established "Gender Equality Education Committee", which later gave rise to the act.
In 1999, Ministry of Education passed the executive order of "Principles of Handling Sexual Assault or Sexual Harassment on College Campus, Primary and Secondary Schools". Schools followed order to establish rules and taskforces.
In this version, there is work protection of pregnant faculty and staff in the chapter about learning environment, but not in that chapter of Gender Equity Education Act, because such protection has been given by "Gender Equality In Employment Law".
During the draft the committee was shocked by the death of student Yeh Yung-chih. Thus the committee concerned more on gender
, sexual orientation
, and sexual identity
, and in 2002 changed the name of the act from "Gender Equality" to "Gender Equity" .
The draft of Gender Equity Education Act was completed in 2003 May, passed Executive Yuan meeting on 2004 March 31, and then entered stage of legislation.
The "NGO League of Promoting Gender Equity Education Act" (性別平等教育法民間推動聯盟) was then formed. It included Awakening Foundation, and Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association
. June 4, The act was passed in Legislative Yuan, and on June 23 it was announced by the president.
Before the act was announced, there were already many training and curriculum studies. After the announcement, all training and studies were based on the act.
Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association has been hosting "Understanding LGBT" workshop for teachers since 2000. There are also some schools combined previous sex education and abstinence education such as showcasing a documentary of abortion
as their version of gender equity education. The official course contents regulation "Index of Capabilities" is still under studies in 2006 March.
All Schools had established committees according to the act.
Although the "violence from ex-lovers" was not addressed in the draft of the act, major criminal cases of such violence are still occurring. And there are people who wish the act would result more affective education to reduce such violence. (http://forum.yam.org.tw/bongchhi/old/microphone/microphone65.htm).
On 2006 March 30, Ministry of Education ruled that any campus-wide competition or selection campaign (such as beauty contest
) must summit project to the gender equity commition of the school. And if the campaign violate the regulation of gender discrimination of the act, the campaign would be corrected.
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
was announced on 2004 June. The General Provisions states the purposes of the act: "to promote substantive gender equality
Gender equality
Gender equality is the goal of the equality of the genders, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality.- Concept :...
, eliminate gender discrimination, uphold human dignity, and improve and establish education resources and environment of gender equality. "
General Provisions
The chapter states that the central competent authority is Ministry of Education, and local competent authorities are city government, etc.All competent authorities and schools shall have a "gender equity education committee", whose tasks include promoting curricula, teaching, and assessments on gender equity education.
At least half of the members of such a committee shall be women, and at least two thirds of the members shall be experts in the area.
This chapter specifically defines "sexual assault or sexual harassment on campus" as "sexual assault or sexual harassment that involves the school principal, faculty, staff or student as one party and student as the other party", separate these events from others.
Learning environment and resources
The chapter states- The school shall not discriminate in its teaching, assessments, etc. against students on the basis of their genderGenderGender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
or sexual orientationSexual orientationSexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
. But shall affirmatively provide assistance to students who are disadvantaged due to those (such as gayGayGay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, transgenderTransgenderTransgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
, and pregnant students) in order to improve their situation. - The admission acceptance shall be gender neutral, except schools with historical tradition or other reasons. (Many famous schools in Taiwan are single-sex)
- Faculty shall be given gender equity courses before and during career.
- The school shall build safe campus, such as safer toiletToiletA toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
s. - The chapter specifically states the school shall affirmatively protect pregnant students' right to education.
- At least one-third of members shall consist of either sex, in Staff Appraisal Committee and similar organization of schools, unless members either sex are too few.
Curriculum, teaching materials and instruction
Curricula shall cover gender equity education. The school shall develop relevant plan and assessments. All curricula shall comply with principle of gender equity. All teachers shall maintain gender equity consciousness, and "shall encourage students to take courses in fields that are not traditionally affiliated with their gender".The Enforcement Rules for the act further states that gender equity education curricula shall cover "affective education, sex education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
, and gay and lesbian education".
Prevention and handling of sexual assault and sexual harassment on campus
- When handling such a case, the school shall report according to relevant laws, and turn the case to its gender equity education committee.
- The party's and offense-reporter's identities shall be kept confidential.
- The victim shall be informed with rights, and provided with protection measures if necessary.
Application for investigation and relief
If the school violates the act, victim can apply for investigation to the supervising authority.History
The act originated from local feminism movement in 1980s, began to be drawn in 2000, and was announced in 2004.Origin
The act originated from earlier demands of "gender equality" education. 1988, Awakening Foundation published a handbook, which examined the official edition of textbookTextbook
A textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...
s of primary and high schools on language and social science, and concluded them full of gender stereotypes.
1996, following then policy of educational reforms, Awakening Foundation presented the Education Reform Council of Executive Yuan
Executive Yuan
The Executive Yuan is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China , commonly known as "Taiwan".-Organization and structure:...
with five demands:
- Improve textbooks
- Train faculty
- Establish gender equality committee
- Increase women's participation in decision making
- Set up women studies curricula
The first four demands became the content of Gender Equity Education Act.
In the end of the same year, Sexual Assault Prevention Act was passed quickly because of the shock of the rape-murder case of a feminist Peng Wan-ru
Peng Wan-ru
Peng Wan-ru was a feminist Taiwanese politician. The director of the Democratic Progressive Party's Women's Affairs Department, Peng advocated for the safety and development of women...
. The act states that primary and high schools shall have "gender equality education". This is the legal basis of Gender Equity Education Act. In March 1997, Ministry of Education established "Gender Equality Education Committee", which later gave rise to the act.
In 1999, Ministry of Education passed the executive order of "Principles of Handling Sexual Assault or Sexual Harassment on College Campus, Primary and Secondary Schools". Schools followed order to establish rules and taskforces.
Design and legislation
In 2000, "Gender Equality Education Committee" commended Chen Hwei-shin, Shen Mei-chen, Su Chien-ling and Hsieh Hsiao-chin to draw the draft of "Gender Equality Education Act". The draft was completed in 2001. The draft contained all five chapters of the Gender Equity Education Act.In this version, there is work protection of pregnant faculty and staff in the chapter about learning environment, but not in that chapter of Gender Equity Education Act, because such protection has been given by "Gender Equality In Employment Law".
During the draft the committee was shocked by the death of student Yeh Yung-chih. Thus the committee concerned more on gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
, sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
, and sexual identity
Sexual identity
Sexual identity is a term that, like sex, has two distinctively different meanings. One describes an identity roughly based on sexual orientation, the other an identity based on sexual characteristics, which is not socially based but based on biology, a concept related to, but different from,...
, and in 2002 changed the name of the act from "Gender Equality" to "Gender Equity" .
The draft of Gender Equity Education Act was completed in 2003 May, passed Executive Yuan meeting on 2004 March 31, and then entered stage of legislation.
The "NGO League of Promoting Gender Equity Education Act" (性別平等教育法民間推動聯盟) was then formed. It included Awakening Foundation, and Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association
Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association
Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association is an organization providing people with peer counseling, support networks, and a community resource center....
. June 4, The act was passed in Legislative Yuan, and on June 23 it was announced by the president.
Implementation
See Gender Equity Education of TaiwanBefore the act was announced, there were already many training and curriculum studies. After the announcement, all training and studies were based on the act.
Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association has been hosting "Understanding LGBT" workshop for teachers since 2000. There are also some schools combined previous sex education and abstinence education such as showcasing a documentary of abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
as their version of gender equity education. The official course contents regulation "Index of Capabilities" is still under studies in 2006 March.
All Schools had established committees according to the act.
Although the "violence from ex-lovers" was not addressed in the draft of the act, major criminal cases of such violence are still occurring. And there are people who wish the act would result more affective education to reduce such violence. (http://forum.yam.org.tw/bongchhi/old/microphone/microphone65.htm).
On 2006 March 30, Ministry of Education ruled that any campus-wide competition or selection campaign (such as beauty contest
Beauty contest
A beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...
) must summit project to the gender equity commition of the school. And if the campaign violate the regulation of gender discrimination of the act, the campaign would be corrected.
See also
- Education in the Republic of ChinaEducation in the Republic of ChinaThe educational system in Taiwan is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education of Republic of China . The system in the ROC produces pupils with some of the highest test scores in the world, especially in mathematics and science. It has been criticised for placing excessive pressure on...
(Taiwan) - Gender mainstreamingGender mainstreamingGender mainstreaming is the public policy concept of assessing the different implications for women and men of any planned policy action, including legislation and programmes, in all areas and levels...
- Sexual harassmentSexual harassmentSexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
and sexual assaultSexual assaultSexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children.... - Gender discrimination
- Women's Educational Equity ActWomen's Educational Equity ActThe Women's Educational Equity Act of 1974 is one of the several landmark laws passed by the United States Congress outlining federal protections against the gender discrimination of women in education. WEAA was enacted as part of P.L. 93-380...
in USA.