1 Gender egalitarianism in a changing society

Gender egalitarianism in a changing society The political uncertainties surrounding Taiwan’s identity as a sovereign state make among other things, the gender politics and equality in Taiwan an undoubtedly unique topic. Taiwan has undergone in the latter half of the twentieth century a drastic industrialization and democratization process, a process which has been describe by many as nothing short of an “economic miracle”. Economic restructuring in Taiwan has not occurred in a vacuum but has brought with it important ideological changes, some the most important aspects of which are those surrounding gender, gender roles and egalitarianism. The essay below aims to delineate the evolvement of women’s rights in light of Taiwan’s progressive industrialization, in order to critically evaluate the current state of gender equality within both the public and private spheres. The concept of gender mainstreaming is discussed in order to examine some of the institutional and legal mandates that have been put forth as a part of Taiwan’s democratization process. The paper concludes by asserting that although progressive changes have been made through the introduction of gender neutral policies within the public sphere. However, the traditional Confucian gender roles still prevail within the conjugal relationships and the domestic sphere, which are inevitably more resistant to ideological changes