Vice President Annette Lu called a conference this morning in the Presidential Office on women's unemployment and career counseling due to Taiwan's growing numbers of career women, of women having difficulties finding jobs after giving birth, and of domestic helpers. Entitled the "Good Housekeeper Project," the seminar invited over 20 high-level government officials and scholars in related areas to seek a win-win solution for women to balance their job careers and families. Among the participants are Vice Premier Wu Rong-yi, Interior Vice Minister Lin Chung-sen, Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) Vice Chairman Hsieh Fa-ta, Vice Chairman of the Council of Labor Affairs Lai Chin-lin, Professor Wu Shwu-chong, P.W.R. Foundation Executive Officer Wang Hwei-chu, and the Nanny Association, Taiwan, R.O.C Chairperson Shih Shui-chin.
Vice Premier Wu decided after the conference that conclusions reached be included into the "Six-star Healthcare Community Project," promoted by the Cabinet, and will be co-sponsored by all levels of related government agencies.
According to CEPD statistics, 47.7 percent of the women in Taiwan join themselves in the workforce, while over half of their European and United States counterparts are career women. Meanwhile, Taiwan's figure is lower than the 48.3 percent of Japan and the 49.8 percent of South Korea. The CEPD attributed Asian women's low participation in the job market to Oriental society's traditional value of men being the bread earners while women taking care of the families. The reason particularly related to the situation in Taiwan is the lack of a sound system for part-time workers.
The Vice President mentioned in her book "New Feminism" back in 1974 about the gender inequality in the right to work and the gap in remunerations. The book discusses the gender role assignment of men being in charge of business outside homes while women staying inside. It has led to women's low employment rate and low socioeconomic status. As of today, 30 years later, women employment has remained a problem.