Gender-Based Violence Pandemic Examined Editorially
In a series of tragic events, Taiwan has witnessed a rise in domestic violence incidents, with the most recent cases highlighting critical flaws in the nation's protective mechanisms for victims.
Last week, a 27-year-old woman named Ku was brutally murdered in Taipei's Xinyi District. Her ex-boyfriend, Liu, allegedly waited for her to arrive home, dragged her into a stairwell, and stabbed her before fleeing the scene. The restraining order for Ku was issued about two months before her death, but Liu allegedly murdered Ku a day after his release, having breached the order.
Similarly, in July, a 42-year-old woman and her younger sister, both named Chang, were murdered in New Taipei City's Tucheng District. The suspect, the older woman's husband, Hsieh, followed the victims after they left the family court, where he had breached a restraining order's conditions. Hsieh allegedly rammed his car into the victims' scooter and stabbed them to death.
These cases underscore the need for a more proactive approach to addressing domestic violence in Taiwan. Current laws in the country are reactive rather than preventive and fail to reflect a nuanced understanding of gendered violence. The prompt issuance of protection orders is crucial in decreasing the likelihood of repeated abuse, but data from the Judicial Yuan indicates that courts took an average of 42.63 days to issue an official protection order last year.
In an effort to address these issues, amendments to the Domestic Violence Prevention Act were made in 2023, allowing for preventive detention or court-ordered arrest if a perpetrator contravenes the conditions of a protective order. However, achieving a truly preventive model for addressing domestic violence would demand legal reframing, improved implementation, and a cultural reckoning with the gendered nature of domestic violence.
Taiwan currently addresses domestic violence against women through a legal framework that includes protection orders issued by courts. Under the Immigration Act, foreign spouses subjected to domestic violence, even if divorced, can continue residing in Taiwan if protected by court orders, preventing revocation of their residence permits and supporting their safety and stability. This legal protection ensures victims are not forced to leave Taiwan due to losing the basis for residence, a critical measure for their security.
Despite these efforts, ongoing concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of Taiwan's measures to address domestic violence. A 2021 survey found that nearly 20 percent of all women aged 18 to 74 had been abused by an intimate partner. The review of Taiwan's fourth country report for the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women in December 2022 raised concerns that current measures are ineffective because they "do not address effectively the root causes of the problem and such violence is not viewed as a result of gender inequality."
As such, it is clear that more needs to be done to address domestic violence in Taiwan. A comprehensive approach that includes legal reform, improved implementation, and cultural change is necessary to create a safer environment for all women.
[1] For more detailed information on legislative proposals and their impact, further government or legal sources from Taiwan would be needed.
- To combat the rising cases of domestic violence in Taiwan, a more proactive approach towards policy-and-legislation is required, particularly in the field of science, focusing on improving the understanding of gendered violence and creating preventive measures.
- In the realm of health-and-wellness, including mental-health and sexual-health, it's essential to provide resources and support for victims of domestic violence, ensuring their overall well-being and preventing long-term effects.
- In light of the persistent issues related to domestic violence, it's crucial for politics and general-news platforms to bring attention to the matter, fostering public awareness and demanding accountability in policy-making processes.
- Crime-and-justice institutions need to reevaluate their strategies to address domestic violence, moving towards proactive measures that prioritize the protection of victims and hold perpetrators accountable, reflecting a greater understanding of the gendered nature of this crime.
