President Ma Ying-jeou visited Taipei City Hakka Cultural Park on the morning of March 28 to take part in a run as part of an early celebration of this year's Children's Day. The president explained to the crowd the government's policies and achievements in protecting the rights of children.
In remarks, the president said that the ROC lost its representation in the United Nations (UN) in 1971, which made it impossible for it to sign or become party to international covenants promoted by the body, including the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child. The government, however, passed the Enforcement Act of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, incorporating the content of that covenant into domestic law to protect children's rights and to ensure that domestic practices correspond with those of the international community. The president remarked that the government has adopted regulatory, policy, and administrative measures to protect children's rights.
The president pointed to the "right to play" for children as an example. He explained that in the past, many museums, zoos, and amusement parks based their pricing on the height of children, which meant that some children who were tall for their age were unable to receive half-price or free entrance. The government last year amended the Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act to correct this situation, thereby changing the pricing framework for children, making it age-based instead of height-based. In addition, to ensure the "right to protection," a regulation was added to the Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act to make it illegal for parents to leave their children by the side of the road or to banish them from the home. Moreover, persons guilty of sexual harassment or household violence, or who have violated the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act are banned from working as nannies. The government, the president said, expects these measures to help create a safe, happy, and healthy environment for children.
The president stated that last year 210,383 children were born here, the second highest in the last decade behind only the 230,000 children born in the Year of the Dragon. Enterprises in recent years have begun encouraging employees to have children, and companies such as Sinyi Realty Inc. and Hon Hai/Foxconn Technology Group have provided financial rewards. This phenomenon is very positive, the president said. He added that the government is also continuing to encourage the public to have children, including allowing mothers and fathers of children under two years old to apply for parental leave and to receive 60% of their insured salaries during this period. There were over 250,000 beneficiaries of this program last year, and in the over six years that this mechanism has been in place, over NT$10 billion has been paid out, he said.
Lastly, the president stressed that the government hopes to utilize a wide range of methods in protecting the rights of children. At the same time, he encouraged the public to have children, hoping to provide an even healthier and happier environment for these children as they grow up.