Feminism in Taiwan
Taiwan’s journey with feminism has had bright moments of progress and long periods of repression. Generations of activists and everyday women fought for education, work, marriage, and political rights. Today Taiwan is widely seen as one of Asia’s leaders in gender equality.
- Early 1900s under Japanese rule: Foot-binding was banned in 1914, and the period saw the emergence of discussions about women’s rights. In the 1920s, the Taiwan Cultural Association and other groups pushed for local political representation, suffrage, and better labor conditions. The New Culture Movement helped challenge old ideas about women and gender roles, arguing for equality and women’s independence in marriage.
- 1920s–1930s: Left-wing and autonomous women’s groups worked to improve women’s status and unite workers with broader social changes. However, the Japanese government began suppressing many of these movements in the 1930s.
- Post–World War II and martial law era: After 1945, many women were active in the workforce and had strong literacy levels. But when martial law began in 1949, civil liberties were tightly restricted, and traditional Confucian gender roles were reinforced in schools, media, and everyday life.
- 1960s–1970s: More women entered the workforce, but many left jobs after marriage because of childcare and social expectations. A turning point came with Annette Lu, a leading feminist thinker who helped spark the modern movement. In 1974 she published New Feminism, calling for changes in gender roles and laws. She faced government pushback but kept pushing ideas into public life. In 1979 she played a key role in the Kaohsiung Incident and later became Taiwan’s vice president (2000–2008). Another important figure, Lee Yuan-chen, helped create spaces for feminist ideas through Awakening Publishing House (1982) and the Awakening magazine, which shaped debates in the 1980s.
- 1987–1990s: Martial law ended in 1987, opening space for more activism. Feminist groups won several legal gains, including women’s right to keep their last names after marriage and improved rights in divorce. Activists also began addressing broader issues like equal pay, shared household labor, and, later, the decriminalization of adultery. In the late 1990s, debates intensified around the division of housework and women’s participation in public life.
- Prostitution debate in the 1990s: The movement wrestled with the tension between sexual liberation and protecting sex workers. Activist groups worked to reform or abolish prostitution in different ways, arguing for workers’ rights and safer conditions while challenging the stigma attached to sex work.
- 2001 and beyond: Taiwan passed the Gender Equality in Work Law to guarantee equal work rights for men and women, with a 2007 amendment strengthening protections. These legal changes helped reduce discrimination in recruitment, promotion, and retirement, and supported women balancing work and family.
Current picture: Thanks to decades of feminist activism, Taiwan has become a leading example of gender equality in Asia. Women participate more fully in education, work, and politics, and laws continue to evolve to close gaps and promote fairness for everyone.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:26 (CET).