On the first anniversary of the #MeToo movement, the National Alliance of Taiwan Women’s Associations hosted a summit on Thursday to review progress made since the movement took hold last May. 

Attendees of the summit include former Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), Chairperson of Taiwan Women’s Conference Peng Yen-wen (彭渰雯), Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation CEO Tu Ying-chiu (杜瑛秋), and DPP Legislator Fan Yun (范雲). The summit called on society and the government to continue supporting the social change necessary to make Taiwan safer for people of all genders.

The #MeToo movement got its foothold in Taiwan last May when a wave of sexual harassment allegations took over social media. This led to amendments to three gender equality laws in 2024, each aimed at strengthening protections against all forms of harassment.

Peng pointed out that Taiwan’s society has become more encouraging towards victims coming forward than before the movement. Tu echoed Peng’s sentiments, adding that while the law has been changed, there is still a noticeable lag in resources for victims. Tu said concrete channels for victims seeking justice and support must be established.

Finally, Legislator Fan, who previously won a sexual harassment case against KMT Legislator Chen Hsueh-sheng (陳雪生), emphasized the need to consider this an “unfinished movement.” She noted that cultural change takes a long time, and that Taiwan needs to improve setups for disadvantaged persons, migratory workers, or victims with language barriers to access support.

The National Alliance of Taiwan Women’s Associations said that the

#MeToo movement greatly increased public awareness on sexual harassment. They said it is crucial that all related associations become more familiar with the laws surrounding sexual assault and harassment to be able to provide timely assistance to victims.