The French government has conferred its National Order of Merit on Taiwanese human rights lawyer and former lawmaker Yu Mei-nu.
On Thursday, the head of the French Office in Taipei, Jean-Francois Casabonne-Masonnave, presided over a ceremony granting Yu the order on behalf of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Yu received the honor in recognition of her advocacy for women’s rights and LGBT rights over the past decades. Yu backed the abolition of the death penalty in Taiwan and has been a staunch supporter of same-sex marriage in the country.
During the ceremony, Yu praised France as a world leader in advocating for human rights and gender equality.