Taiwan’s #MeToo movement makes a comeback with accusations across politics, TV and schools

Topics like sexual harassment are rarely discussed in Taiwan, so #MeToo gives people a chance to highlight misconduct that has been buried or ignored

Some victims hope the resurgence could lead to amendments to the law governing sexual harassment in workplaces, due for review by Taiwan’s legislature in July

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The recent wave of accusations and personal stories of unwanted encounters has brought the way Taiwan deals with sexual violence to the forefront of society. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 2:00am, 12 Jul 2023Updated: 4:13am, 12 Jul 2023

Taiwan is facing a long-delayed reckoning with sexual harassment and sexual violence. In the past month, people have stepped forward with accusations, one after the other, leading to criminal investigations, resignations at different levels of government, and a society-wide discussion of the unspoken rules that govern gender norms in society.

Taiwan’s #MeToo movement, which had a brief wave of accusations in 2017 as the #MeToo movement swept the globe, reignited on May 31 when a woman named Chen Chien-jou who worked for the Democratic Progressive Party, the party in power, accused film director Hsueh Chao-hui of groping her and making unwanted sexual advances.

When she went to tell Hsu Chia-tien, the party’s head of women’s affairs, Chen was met with dismissal and asked why she had not screamed.

With the 2024 presidential campaign kicking off, Hsu has since resigned from her post, and the party vowed to make changes internally with the backing of its new chair, Lai Ching-te.

Taiwan’s #MeToo movement reignited on May 31 when a woman named Chen Chien-jou (pictured posing for photographs during an interview) who worked for the Democratic Progressive Party, the party in power, accused film director Hsueh Chao-hui of groping her and making unwanted sexual advances. Photo: AFP

People within the DPP accused of sexual harassment or assault were pushed to resign, though Hsueh maintained his position as he does not work for the party.

He issued a public statement denying the accusation, saying he would cooperate with any investigation and apologising for any misunderstanding.