Taiwan’s third annual Women’s March was held on a rainy Saturday in Taipei, one day after International Women’s Day.
The march began at Huashan Park, the site of a murder case last year which, along with other cases, drew attention to misogyny and violence against women in Taiwan, and continued past the Legislative Yuan and 228 Peace Park before ending at Liberty Plaza. Between 80 and 100 participants were in attendance, according to New Bloom.
“We conquered the pouring rain of Taipei at the 2019 Women’s March, the WoMen Wave!” read a statement from march organizers. (WoMen means “us” or “we” in Mandarin.) “Let’s continue to fight for gender equality on women’s day and every day.”
“We were very pleased that attendants represented a diverse mix of women, men, and non-binary and nonheteronormative genders who came out to support women’s rights and achievements in the rain,” Darice Chang of Women’s March Taiwan told The News Lens.
The event called attention to issues facing women such as body-shaming, unequal pay and workplace discrimination, and sexual harassment. Performances and speeches continued after the march’s conclusion at the Hsin-yi Family Square Theater.
The march was attended by civil society groups from a diverse array of backgrounds, including Covenants Watch, UBI Taiwan (universal basic income) and the Chen Wen-cheng Memorial Foundation, which raises awareness of Taiwan’s White Terror period.
On International Women’s Day – Friday, Mar. 8 – President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) touted a recent World Bank study ranking Taiwan as Asia’s top country in guaranteeing women’s rights.
According to CNA, Tsai said that while women have made many advances in Taiwanese society, they still face challenges, stereotypes and discrimination compared to men.
“In the workplace, you are asked to wear makeup and a pencil skirt,” she said. “Your boss calls you inattentive when you have to juggle a busy home life, children and a job.”
Other news from Taiwan:
► 121 weekend flights were delayed after a pothole was discovered on Taiwan Taoyuan Airport’s south runway. (Taipei Times)
► Kaohsiung’s city government has confirmed media reports that it may receive a gift of two pandas from Chongqing in China to promote city-to-city exchanges. (Taipei Times)
► Jade Mountain (Yushan), Taiwan’s highest peak, saw snowfall early Monday morning as temperatures dipped to minus 0.6 degrees Celsius, the Central Weather Bureau said. (CNA)
Read Next: OPINION: Misogyny, Murder and Misplaced Blame in Taiwan
Editor: Nick Aspinwall (@Nick1Aspinwall)
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