Birthday: Jan 23, 2000 

 Character:

An advocacy nonprofit organization for women’s rights, especially in the area of women’s health and politics.

  Featuring:

• Taiwan Women's Health (website: www.twh.org.tw)

• 528 Action Conference for Women's Health (annual meeting)

• Taiwanese Women's Health Network (alliance)  

     Our mission is to ensure that women have self-determination in decision-making.  For creating a cultural and medical shift in how women’s bodies are perceived and addressed in a predominantly patriarchal society, TWL focuses on developing and promoting a critical analysis of health issues from women’s perspectives

     Moreover, we believe that a significant affect in policies will furthermore support women’s entitlement; hence we also devote our efforts to encourage women’s participation in politics.  We expect to give women a greater voice by enacting the law and formulating the policy.

The followings are some recent work and accomplishments:

 Women and Health

   I. Review and Implement Acts and Policies Related to Women’s Health

Ø      Promote the legalization of RU486 (since 2000).

Ø      Develop and promote the Artificial Human Reproduction Act, which has gone through entire procedure in the Legislative Yuan in March, 2007 (since 2000).

Ø      Propose and promote the Health and Care Act to substitute the Eugenics and Health Care Act. This bill has been sent to the Legislative Yuan and is listed on the bill agenda for further discussion (since 2000).

Ø      Advocate the establishment of the Birth Risk Compensation Fund which supports an environment for friendly delivery   (since 2002).

Ø      Increase awareness of surrogate motherhood issues           (since 2000).

Ø      Increase women’s menopause consciousness (since 2000).

Ø      Advance the incorporation of gender courses in a medical education (since 2000).

Ø      Convene the “528 Taiwan Women’s Health Action Conference”, an annual convention where an action manifesto is drafted and monitored for implementation (since 2000).

  II. Bridge Various Domestic/International Women’s Groups along with other Advocacy Groups

Ø      Join and co-sponsor the “East Asian Women’s Forum” and the “Southeast Asian Women’s Health Networks”  (since 2000).

Ø      Hold the “Women’s Groups Allied Workshop” to cultivate local women’s groups (since 2001).

Ø      Establish the “Women’s Health Action Network”       (since 2004).

Ø      Co-founded the “National Health Insurance Monitoring Alliance” with other social welfare groups (since 2003).

Ø      Lead the discussions with other social welfare groups about the Long-term Care Policy and the establishment of related systems (since 2005).

 III. Creation and Maintenance of the “Taiwan Women’s Health Website” (since 2004)

Ø      Provide the latest domestic/international medical news, studies and health–related information pertaining to women’s experiences. So far the website has accumulated 112,069 hits and has provided around 850 pieces of translated international articles.

Ø      Publish the “Women’s Health e-paper” bi-weekly. It has accumulated 1,680 subscribers to date and reached an average visit of 850 users per month.

Ø      Partnered with the Homemaker’s Union and Foundation to publish articles, which have been posted monthly on the Green Views section.

  IV. Other Activities

Ø      Hold reading groups to discuss  women’s health-related issues (2000~2004).

Ø      Promote the “Patient Safety System” (since 2003).

Ø      Host the public performance “V-Day: The Vagina Monologues” and other related activities (since 2005).

Ø      Draft influential proposals for women’s health policy (2004~2005).

Ø      Solicited the essay “Endless story—My Breasts ” (2005).

Ø      Hosted the play “Innovatively New Image of the Vagina” (2006).

Ø      Hosted the Female Youths Health Seminar (2006).

Women and Economics

Ø      Hold district symposia on National Annuity to cooperate with other social welfare groups in proposing a non-governmental version of the amendment to the National Annuity Act (since 2004).

Ø      Establish the Gender Equality in Employment Act (since 2004).

Women and Politics

Ø      Assemble the “1130 Female Electorates Action Alliance” (since 2001).

Ø      Hold several press conferences relating to current issues, such as “Taiwan Women has something to say on Congress Reformation”(the press conference on Congress reformation) and, “Too much the Political Language, too less the Women’s Dignity.”(women’s statements against the verbal violence of politicians (since 2001).

Ø      Held symposia on women suffrage/women’s participation and contribution in the political arena (2003).

Other Issues/Activities

Ø      Conducted a symposium and questionnaire survey on women’s demand in the Post-Earthquake Reconstruction Area (2000).

Ø      Collaborated with other women’s groups to hold 12 symposia on the “Spouse’s Contractual Property System” and the “Divorce Act” (2002).

Ø      Promote the establishment of the “Separation System” and the “No Fault Divorce Act” (since 2002).

Ø      Joined the Media Monitoring Alliance (since 2002).

Ø      Assembled the Alliance for Impelling Sexual Industry Reduction Policy (2004).

Ø      Gave a public hearing in response to the Administration of the Sexual Harassment Prevention Act (2005).

Ø      Gave several non-scheduled press conferences on various kinds of relevant issues: three times in 2002, once in 2003, nine times in 2004, 16 times in 2005 and 19 times in 2006.