Campus Gender Equality Reports Surge, Teacher Groups Call for Tiered System and Third-Party Agencies
Following Taiwan's 2023 #MeToo movement and the revision of the Gender Equality Education Act, campus gender equality incident reports have surged. Teacher groups propose a tiered mechanism for serious cases and counseling for minor ones, advocating for third-party investigations and restorative justice to prevent frivolous lawsuits. The Ministry of Education stated it would evaluate and adjust simplified procedures, third-party investigations, and tiered systems.
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- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 16:31
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Taipei, April 15 (CNA) Following Taiwan's 2023 #MeToo movement and the revision of the Gender Equality Education Act, campus gender equality incident reports have surged. Multiple teacher groups today suggested at a Legislative Yuan public hearing that a tiered mechanism should be adopted, with serious cases thoroughly investigated and minor cases channeled towards counseling first. They also called for the introduction of impartial third-party agencies for investigation and restorative justice to prevent the frequent occurrence of frivolous lawsuits.
The Legislative Yuan's Education and Culture Committee held a public hearing today on "Revision of the Gender Equality Education Act – Review and Outlook on Campus Gender Incidents, Relationship Disputes, and Relationship Education."
Li Ya-wen, a director of the National Teachers' Association, stated that current campus gender equality cases, regardless of severity, are all handled extensively, leading to administrative overload, excessive consumption of educational resources, and intensified campus conflicts. She added that the phenomenon of "weaponizing complaints" on campus is becoming increasingly serious, causing teachers to face issues whether they report or not.
She suggested establishing a professional consultation mechanism before reporting, implementing that reporting does not immediately equate to investigation, and building an administrative firewall to allow for pragmatic administrative channeling, returning minor cases to counseling.
Wang Bo-yuan, chairman of the Taiwan Gender Equality Education Association, pointed out that the practical difficulty lies in the clear definition and demarcation of cases. For example, if A says they saw something and B says they didn't, how should the case be clearly defined? If clear case definition is required, there needs to be guidance, and county and city government authorities should have more rigorous professional grading and training systems for investigation committee members.
Xu Li-zhen, chairman of the Nantou County Education Industry Union, stated that the current campus gender equality incident handling system has evolved into a literary inquisition, not only investigating incidents but also scrutinizing teaching and intimidating professionals. The system design has shifted from protecting students to a presumption of guilt, forcing teachers to go to court to prove their innocence.
She pointed out that the gender equality system has severely overextended its powers, and malicious presumptions of guilt often only listen to the subjective feelings of complainants, ignoring objective teaching situations. Future revisions should establish the principle of safeguarding teaching autonomy, and investigations and deliberations should include professionals from relevant fields, ending the "presumption of guilt" evidence collection practice and distinguishing between teaching flaws and sexual harassment.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Yueh-chin stated that after Taiwan revised the Gender Equality Education Act due to the #MeToo incident in 2023, the number of sexual harassment reports in universities and colleges surged by 40%. The caseload has exploded, but capacity is insufficient, with up to 60% of frontline staff handling these cases concurrently, leading to extremely high turnover rates. The lack of capacity affects the rights of complainants.
Lin Yueh-chin suggested referring to the US Title IX system design, where each school has a coordinator to coordinate, supervise, and handle gender equality complaint cases. She emphasized prioritizing resources, respecting the wishes of the parties involved, providing necessary support measures at the initial stage of a case, and fully considering the parties' wishes before initiating an investigation.
Deputy Minister of Education Chu Chun-chang, who was present, stated that simplified procedures for case handling are already being addressed. As for third-party investigations and tiered systems, the Ministry of Education will evaluate and adjust them, and confidentiality obligations are being studied.
Regarding personnel, Chu Chun-chang pointed out that the K-12 Education Administration and the Department of Student Affairs of the Ministry of Education will conduct investigations on how to use special projects or guide schools to allocate funds to hire dedicated personnel. In terms of funding, the Ministry of Education provides subsidies, but schools also need to allocate relevant funds. To avoid crowding out existing school funding burdens, the Ministry of Education will investigate and make appropriate adjustments, and cooperate with local governments. (Editor: Lin Ke-lun, Zhai Si-jia) 1150415
The Legislative Yuan's Education and Culture Committee held a public hearing today on "Revision of the Gender Equality Education Act – Review and Outlook on Campus Gender Incidents, Relationship Disputes, and Relationship Education."
Li Ya-wen, a director of the National Teachers' Association, stated that current campus gender equality cases, regardless of severity, are all handled extensively, leading to administrative overload, excessive consumption of educational resources, and intensified campus conflicts. She added that the phenomenon of "weaponizing complaints" on campus is becoming increasingly serious, causing teachers to face issues whether they report or not.
She suggested establishing a professional consultation mechanism before reporting, implementing that reporting does not immediately equate to investigation, and building an administrative firewall to allow for pragmatic administrative channeling, returning minor cases to counseling.
Wang Bo-yuan, chairman of the Taiwan Gender Equality Education Association, pointed out that the practical difficulty lies in the clear definition and demarcation of cases. For example, if A says they saw something and B says they didn't, how should the case be clearly defined? If clear case definition is required, there needs to be guidance, and county and city government authorities should have more rigorous professional grading and training systems for investigation committee members.
Xu Li-zhen, chairman of the Nantou County Education Industry Union, stated that the current campus gender equality incident handling system has evolved into a literary inquisition, not only investigating incidents but also scrutinizing teaching and intimidating professionals. The system design has shifted from protecting students to a presumption of guilt, forcing teachers to go to court to prove their innocence.
She pointed out that the gender equality system has severely overextended its powers, and malicious presumptions of guilt often only listen to the subjective feelings of complainants, ignoring objective teaching situations. Future revisions should establish the principle of safeguarding teaching autonomy, and investigations and deliberations should include professionals from relevant fields, ending the "presumption of guilt" evidence collection practice and distinguishing between teaching flaws and sexual harassment.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Yueh-chin stated that after Taiwan revised the Gender Equality Education Act due to the #MeToo incident in 2023, the number of sexual harassment reports in universities and colleges surged by 40%. The caseload has exploded, but capacity is insufficient, with up to 60% of frontline staff handling these cases concurrently, leading to extremely high turnover rates. The lack of capacity affects the rights of complainants.
Lin Yueh-chin suggested referring to the US Title IX system design, where each school has a coordinator to coordinate, supervise, and handle gender equality complaint cases. She emphasized prioritizing resources, respecting the wishes of the parties involved, providing necessary support measures at the initial stage of a case, and fully considering the parties' wishes before initiating an investigation.
Deputy Minister of Education Chu Chun-chang, who was present, stated that simplified procedures for case handling are already being addressed. As for third-party investigations and tiered systems, the Ministry of Education will evaluate and adjust them, and confidentiality obligations are being studied.
Regarding personnel, Chu Chun-chang pointed out that the K-12 Education Administration and the Department of Student Affairs of the Ministry of Education will conduct investigations on how to use special projects or guide schools to allocate funds to hire dedicated personnel. In terms of funding, the Ministry of Education provides subsidies, but schools also need to allocate relevant funds. To avoid crowding out existing school funding burdens, the Ministry of Education will investigate and make appropriate adjustments, and cooperate with local governments. (Editor: Lin Ke-lun, Zhai Si-jia) 1150415
FAQ
What led to the surge in campus gender equality incident reports in Taiwan?
The surge is attributed to Taiwan's 2023 #MeToo movement and the subsequent revision of the Gender Equality Education Act by the Legislative Yuan.
What improvements have teacher groups proposed for handling campus gender equality incidents?
Teacher groups have proposed implementing a tiered mechanism for serious and minor cases, introducing impartial third-party agencies for investigation, adopting restorative justice, and establishing a professional consultation mechanism before reporting.