The Formation of Gender Education Policies in Taiwan, 1995-1999

Abstract

This article discusses the formation of gender equity education policies in Taiwan between 1995 and 1999. The first part of the article presents a general description of Taiwan`s women`s movement, the education reform movement, and the development of women`s/gender studies after the lifting of martial law in 1987. The second part of the article focuses on a discussion of the process of formation of two important policies: the announcement of gender equality education as a part of the education reform agenda by the Education Reform Council, Executive Yuan in 1996; and the inclusion of gender issues as an integral aspect of the elementary and secondary school curriculum reform from 1997 to 1999. The social, political, economic, and educational contexts within which these two policies emerged and the critical factors affecting their formation are analyzed.