TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's legislature passed the amendments to the Act of Gender Equality in Employment and the Sexual Harassment Prevention Act on Monday (July 31), providing better protection for sexual misconduct victims, a more thorough investigation process and harsher punishments.
Taiwan has been pushing to reform the three gender equality laws: the Sexual Harassment Prevention Act, Gender Equity Education Act, and the Act of Gender Equality in Employment to better protect victims of sexual harassment in society, educational settings, workplace in the wake of Taiwan's recent MeToo movement the spread across politics, the entertainment industry, the sports realm, and society.
The amendments to the Gender Equity Education Act were also adopted last Friday (July 28). The amendments to the Act of Gender Equality in Employment include simplifying the appeals process and adding the definition of sexual misconduct under asymmetrical power dynamics. And the penalty for employer sexual harassment could reach NT＄1 million.
If an employee is sexually harassed by someone in the same unit, a different unit, or an employer during non-working hours, this law is also applicable.
Under the amended Sexual Harassment Prevention Act, the appeal deadline for sexual harassment complaints is extended. Abusers could end up three years in jail. The maximum penalty could reach NT＄600,000. And if the media or anyone discloses information about the victims of sexual harassment, they could be fined up to NT＄600,000.
"Amending the law is not the end of the #MeToo movement. What's more difficult than law reform is to change the culture." Legislator Fan Yun said.
