Education Minister Pan Wen-chung says he hopes every child, regardless of gender, will be able to grow up unrestrained by social expectations. That comes from a statement on October 11, which is Taiwan’s Girls’ Day.
Pan says he grew up when stereotypes about gender roles were still very strong in Taiwan. Women were steered away from sciences and towards domestic life.
Pan says that this has changed in the last 20 years thanks to efforts by frontline educators, NGOs, legislators, and school administrators. He says “girl power” has created new possibilities for Taiwanese society.
Over half of Taiwan’s Olympic contingent this year were women, and numbers of prominent female professionals and opinion leaders are growing.
Pan says a huge part of education work is creating an environment of freedom and self-confidence, in which kids can learn about and respect each other without the limitations of social gender norms.