TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Calls for gender equality in Taiwan's tech industry have intensified as experts highlight the challenges women face in leadership roles. A 2021 report from 104 Job Bank (104人力銀行) showed that despite some improvements, only about 18% of senior executives in the tech sector are women. This disparity reflects a broader issue of gender imbalance in the industry.
NVIDIA (輝達) CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) has urged the tech industry to promote and support women. Huang explains that while NVIDIA initially had one woman among every ten employees, the company has since improved to one in three. Liu Ya-ting (劉雅婷), an associate manager at 104 Job Bank, notes that as artificial intelligence gains prominence, women increasingly take on roles in product planning, data analysis, and engineering.
Liu emphasizes that women must work harder to receive equal opportunities and recognition in promotions. Chiu Yu-shao (邱禹韶), COO of a tech company, points out that motherhood poses significant challenges for women, as workplaces remain less accommodating before children turn one year old. Taiwan's Gender Equality in Employment Act (性別工作平等法) provides legal protection for women during pregnancy and childbirth.
Despite equal parental leave rights, men rarely take leave. In 2022, only 25.2% of parental leave applicants were fathers, indicating that women still bear more childcare responsibilities. Experts suggest looking to Sweden's parental leave policy, which allows parents to share up to 480 days, with 90 days reserved for each parent. The Economist reported in 2014 that nearly 90% of Swedish fathers took parental leave, offering a model for Taiwan to consider.
