Monthly Event Reports
January 2024 | Lai Ching-te elected as Taiwan’s president
Lai Chin-te of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won Taiwan’s presidential election on 13 January, securing 40.05 per cent of the vote in the three-way presidential race. Hsiao Bi-khim was elected as vice president. Voter turnout stood at 71.86 per cent, slightly lower than the 74.90 per cent recorded in the 2020 presidential election. The DPP also experienced a setback in the Legislative Yuan (unicameral legislature), losing its majority in the legislative election held on the same day. The DPP secured 51 seats out of 113, while Kuomintang (KMT) claimed 52 seats; the upstart Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) secured 8 seats; and the last 2 seats were won by independents. Voter turnout was 71.78 per cent, down from 74.86 per cent in the 2020 legislative election. Women constitute 41.59 per cent of the seats, with 47 female lawmakers elected out of 113, comparable to 48 in the previous election. Election observers noted that the electoral process was conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner.
August 2023 | Legislature amends anti-sexual harassment laws
Taiwan's legislature swiftly responded to the country’s latest #MeToo movement and recent high-profile cases triggered by the hit show, Wave Makers, amending three key laws on sexual harassment. On 31 July, amendments to the Gender Equity Education Act, Act of Gender Equality in Employment, and Sexual Harassment Prevention Act were passed. These changes introduce harsher penalties, including up to three-year jail terms and substantial fines, along with longer statute of limitations and broader definitions of sexual harassment. The ruling party also took prompt action to remove officials implicated in sexual misconduct cases. However, critics argue that these amendments, while a "legislative milestone", fall short in addressing harassment beyond the workplace. Activists call for increased fines to prevent retaliation and more targeted educational initiatives to challenge societal attitudes toward sexual harassment.
May 2023 | Same-sex couples afforded full adoption rights
Taiwan's legislature on 16 May approved a change to a law that allows same-sex couples to jointly adopt a child to whom neither of them is biologically related. LGBTQIA+ rights advocates have hailed the move as a significant step towards achieving full marriage equality. Previously, the adoption rules only permitted a same-sex partner to adopt a child if there was a biological connection to their spouse. If neither partner had a biological link to the child, only one partner could legally become the child's parent - a restriction which did not apply to heterosexual couples or single people.
January 2023 | Taiwan recognizes transnational same-sex marriage
Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior lifted restrictions on registering same-sex marriage between Taiwanese and foreign nationals on 9 January, with the exception of mainland Chinese citizens. While Taiwan was the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage, it had not previously allowed registration if one partner was a citizen of a jurisdiction where same-sex marriage was illegal.
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