| Emily Hesp | March 21, 2022 |
Each year, the World Economic Forum releases its Global Gender Gap Report on four key dimensions of gender equality: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. According to the findings of the 2020 edition, the political empowerment gap faces the largest gender disparity, with only 24.7% of the gap being closed in 2020 since they first started reporting in 2006.
Representation matters. When turning social change into policy change, individuals representative of diverse identities and experiences must be present during this process. Alas, this is not a reality across much of the globe. At all levels of government, women, amongst other marginalized groups, are vastly underrepresented internationally. Not only does this impact what kinds of legislation are put forward and passed, but also deters many women from entering the male-dominated field for a host of reasons. Cultural and social biases can take form in the reinforcement of gender stereotypes, lack of support and gender-based discrimination in the workplace.
For this reason, we must celebrate the stories of women who managed to make their mark in a world where they were once unwelcome; the women who overcame the systemic barriers laid out before them and were just as impactful as their male counterparts. However, we’re still a long way away from reaching gender parity in governance on an international level and there is still much work left to be done. Increasing awareness, education and allyship within both the local and global community is key to providing women with an equal opportunity to realize their leadership potential.
The four-part International Women’s Leadership highlight seeks to shine a light on the stories of some of the most influential women leaders of our time. Their presence on the international stage of politics and social change is a testament to the strength, skill and tenacity of these women.
This series will be composed of four biographies, starting with Taiwan’s first woman president, Ms. Tsai Ing-Wen.
Image Source: Getty Images
Who is Tsai Ing-Wen?
Ranking #37 on Forbes’ list of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” is Tsai Ing-Wen, the first female president of Taiwan. Before she entered the world of politics, Tsai’s career began in teaching and education. In 1978, she received a law degree from National Taiwan University in Taipei. She went on to attend Cornell University and London School of Economics, earning a master’s degree in 1980 and a doctorate degree in 1984. Upon her return to Taiwan, Ing-Wen would teach law at universities in Taipei up until 2000.
Her political activity and government involvement began in the early 1990s. Under the Lee Teng-hui administration, Tsai was appointed as a trade policy advisor. In 2002, she most notably played a major role in helping Taiwan to join the World Trade Organization.* Ever since the 1970s, Taiwan has faced international isolation as a result of the political and economic pressures applied by Mainland China. The “One-China policy”, which impeded the nation’s ability to join the WTO, is one example of such limitations placed on Taiwan over the nation’s independence.**
Tsai then was appointed to become the chair of the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Mainland Affairs Council during the presidency of Chen Shui-bian. The council was responsible for relations between Taiwan and China and faced significant challenges during the Chen administration as a result of the DPP’s advocacy for Taiwanese independence.
Tsai’s popularity and presence as a politician continued to grow. She was elected to be the Democratic Progressive Party’s president and successfully rebuilt its political presence, influence and popularity in the years following the devastating loss of the 2008 election. The party’s previous president, Chen Shui-bian, had been jailed for corruption following the DPP’s loss that year. Tsai was re-elected as president in 2010 but lost to Ma Ying-jeou of the Nationalist Party in the 2012 presidential election.
Image Source: Stand News
Four years later, Tsai was elected into office as Taiwan’s first woman president. During her first year of presidency, the country’s economy saw a slow but steady growth. Minimum wage, stocks, and investments rose, and social services such as childcare and public housing flourished as well. In 2017, Tsai’s administration legalized the marriage of same-sex couples and made Taiwan one of the first East Asian countries to do so. However, during her first term, the Tsai administration fell short of adequately tackling wealth inequality, taxation, and high housing prices.
In January of 2020, Ms. Tsai was elected into her second term of government with 57% of the vote. Despite a decrease in popularity over her pension and energy sector reforms, Taiwan’s favorability remained strong amongst pro-democracy supporters. As a candidate committed to Taiwan’s independence and sovereignty, she prevailed over her Kuomintang (KMT) opponent, Han Kuo-yu, who vouched for greater engagement with China. Moving forward, the Tsai administration hopes to further integrate Taiwan into the international community, stimulating the economy and striving towards advancements like green energy and biotechnology.
All in all, Tsai’s dedication to liberal democracy, Taiwanese Sovereignty and advocacy for social progress is what makes her an internationally revered politician and leader.
Footnotes
*Taiwan joined the WTO under the name of "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (Chinese Taipei)" so that it would not be rejected under the “One-China policy” enforced by the People’s Republic of China. This diplomatic policy asserts that there is one sovereign state under the name of China, instead of acknowledging the existence of two states, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) of Taiwan. For more information on this policy, please refer to this BBC article “What is the “One China” policy?”: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-38285354.
**Taiwan’s national independence and relation with mainland China is complex. The Taiwan Independence movement wishes to establish the “Republic of Taiwan” as a sovereign state separate from China. The ROC government’s response to the independence movement has differed with each presidency. During the presidency of Lee Teng-hui, certain articles were added to the ROC constitution so that they applied solely to the Taiwan area. However, in a 2008 interview president Ma Ying-jeou re-asserted the ROC’s territorial claims on mainland China.
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Interesting and insightful read, well written!