Taipei With a time difference of thirteen hours between Taipei and New Orleans, we surprised ourselves by trying to be smart about the problem by arriving in Taiwan on Thursday evening, so we had a chance to adjust a bit before the Sunday kickoff of the Organizer’s Forum. Doing so, also made the three of us the scout party for the group, so we took our responsibilities seriously, even if we were less than bushy-tailed.
We trudged off when we thought everything would be open, US-style, at 10 AM to find a SIM card for one of our number who was still sporting a Working Assets / Credo phone. After a couple of kilometers, we came to the realization that most stores in the central business district didn’t open until noon, so we were sucking air. I say that literally, because it was hyper-New Orleans summer weather in terms of heat and humidity, so we were sweating like pigs. We then altered course for another four-and-a-half kilometers to visit MOCA, the Museum of Contemporary Art. Once inside we realized the major exhibit was an explication of the Taiwanese #MeToo movement coupled with exhibitions for artists within these general themes.
Taiwan had come late to the #MeToo movement that began in the United States around 2017. Much of the activity in Taiwan was only between twelve and eighteen months ago in 2023. A Netflix “show ‘Wave Makers’ triggered the #MeToo wave in Taiwan, with the line ‘let’s not just let this go’ frequently quoted by victims posting their experiences of sexual harassment on Facebook.” Almost 100 women came forward, many of them citing sexual harassment as workers and activists within the Democratic Progressive Party, which had been the off-and-on ruler of the country since democratic reform. All of this prompted quick apologies by government leaders, but the cat was out of the bag. As the East Asia Forum reported a year ago,
The emergence of the #MeToo movement depends on social, cultural and legal structures. Taiwan enacted regulations to curb sexual harassment in workplaces and educational institutions in 2002 and 2004, respectively. Sexual harassment which takes place in public spheres is also punished under the 2005 Sexual Harassment Prevention Act. The Stalking and Harassment Prevention Act was enacted in 2021 to prevent excessive courting and stalking.
Ironically, the existence of multiple sexual harassment laws suggests that the legislation is not functioning properly. The plethora of regulations not only confuse ordinary people but also makes it easier for different branches of local governments to shirk their responsibilities under the web of bureaucracy. For example, the 2002 Act of Gender Equality in Employment (GEE) stipulates that any company employing more than 30 staff should adopt an anti-sexual harassment policy. Nonetheless, most Taiwanese companies do not follow the regulation.
The Museum was now doing its part with this exhibit. Part of the presentation was just telling the story. Other parts seemed to be highlighting the external and internal experience of women from model closets, living and bedrooms, to giant tea cups, empty work desks, and dramatic video displays. I can’t pretend to be an art critic, and many of the exhibits didn’t have English translations, but it was impossible not to get the point.
I’m not sure the #MeToo movement has won many victories in its short existence in Taiwan, but undoubtedly men didn’t have to go to the Museum to get the message that there’s no going backwards from here. The sisters are organizing, their watching, and change is going to come.
