President Tsai Ing-wen has hailed the growing number of talented and hardworking professional women in all areas of Taiwanese society. Her remarks came in a video posted on her Facebook page to mark International Women’s Day on Monday.
The president says that in recent years, conscientious and determined women have taken positions of responsibility in every one of Taiwan’s professional fields. She says that in doing so, they have shown persistence and courage while breaking down barriers for other women.
However, the president also says that she looks forward to the day when people will no longer refer to gender when praising exceptional women. She says she hopes that in the future, society will see them as exceptional individuals in their own right, not representatives of their gender. The same goes for men too, she says.
Tsai says the government will take the lead on challenging gender stereotypes and work to achieve gender equality. In the meantime, the president is calling on women to rise to the challenge and break traditional gender norms.