According to the results of one country following such a change, it absolutely can. 

Taiwan amended legislation in 2021 to increase the rate of paid parental leave for parents from 60 per cent of their insured salary to 80 per cent, applied to previously available six months of leave. Other legislated changes included the addition of flexibility, with parents able to take off a month or more at a time, rather than having to take the full six months in one go. 

The changes resulted in an immediate uptick of fathers taking leave, at 25.2 per cent of “married parents” who took leave in 2022, rising from 18.2 per cent the year before. That result saw a total of 25,100 fathers taking leave in 2022. 

The changes came via amendments to the Employment Insurance Act in July 2021, and during the second term of Taiwan’s first female president, Tsai Ing-Wen, specifically aimed at promoting “gender-friendly workplaces” and encouraging more men to take part in housework and care. 

The results were revealed in a paper released by Taiwan this week, 2024 Gender at a Glance in the ROC, and comes just months after Taiwan was ranked the highest in Asia and sixth globally across the 179 countries listed on the OECD Development Centre’s Social Institutions and Gender Index. Taiwan trails the well-known leaders on gender equality, including Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland and Sweden, but comes in ahead of Australia, the United States and the UK. Last year was the first time Taiwan appeared on this Index. 

Taiwan boasts other impressive results according to this week’s government paper, including having 41.6 per cent of its legislature being made up of women at January’s election, although this is slightly down from the 42.5 per cent achieved following its latest 2022 legislative by-election. 

Taiwan legalised same-sex marriage in May 2019, with more than 7000 men and almost 18,000 women registering for such marriages by the end of 2023. 

Taiwan also introduced anti-sexual harassment laws in 2023, following a number of sexual assault claims against celebrities and other powerful figures, including within the Democratic Progressive Party, that sparked a number of resignations. The new laws saw an expansion of workplaces covered to now include those with at least 10 employees, as well as an extension on the statute of limitations. All employers covered must establish channels for sexual harassment reporting, and must then investigate all sexual harassment complaints and report findings to local authorities or face the consequence of fines.  

Taiwan has been led by its first female president, Tsai Ing-wen, for the past eight years, who has been credited with leading the country successfully through the pandemic and promoting a strong Taiwanese identity separate from China. Her successor, William Lai Ching-te, was successfully elected at the presidential and legislative elections earlier this month. The president-elect has been Tsai Ing-wen’s VP since 2020 and will officially become president in May 2023.

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Lai beat Kuomintang’s (KMT) Hou Yu-ih by more than 900,000 votes on Saturday, ensuring the DPP’s leadership over the country of almost 24 million for the next four years. 

For the past eight years, the pro-sovereignty party has been led by the country’s first ever female president, Tsai Ing-wen. Tsai promoted a Taiwanese identity separate to China, and garnered global admiration for her strong stance against China’s authoritarianism, increasing arms from the US and for her exemplary management of the country during the pandemic. 

On Saturday night, her successor delivered his victory speech, describing his win as “victory for the community of democracies” around the world. 

“Taiwanese people have the right to choose their own president,” Lai said. “We are telling the international community that between authoritarianism and democracy, we choose democracy.” 

The president-elect, who has served as vice-president to Tsai Ing-wen since 2020, congratulated voters for resisting the “external forces” (ie. Beijing) in their attempts to influence the election and interfere with DPP’s efforts to keep Taiwan independent from China – which continues to claim Taiwan as its own territory.

“In the legislative election the DPP did not hold onto a majority,” Lai said. “This means that we did not work hard enough and there are areas where we must humbly review and look back on.”

“We are telling the international community that between democracy and authoritarianism, we will stand on the side of democracy.” 

“Taiwan will continue to walk alongside democracies around the world.”

During his campaign, the 64-year-old expressed his wish keep the status quo with China and said he was willing to talk to Beijing.

Over the weekend, he said he would not be “intimidated” by Beijing, but reiterated his plans to cooperate with China and maintain peace and stability with them.

“We are determined to safeguard Taiwan from continuing threats and intimidation from China,” he said. 

Despite its win, the DPP lost control of its Legislative Yuan, the country’s 113-seat parliament. It won 51 seats while the KMT obtained 52 seats.

Lai announced plans to incorporate the policies of his opponents only if they benefited Taiwan and “bring benefit to the people.” 

Lai’s running partner and vice-president-elect is Hsiao Bi-khim. Hsiao, who is mixed-race, has served as Taiwan’s envoy to the US since 2020, and famously describes herself as a “cat warrior” fighting against China’s “wolf-warrior” aggression.

Reaction from China

China’s Taiwan affairs office responded to Lai’s victory with a bleak message. The spokesperson, Chen Binhua, said the results would not stop “the general trend that the motherland will eventually and will inevitably be reunified,” adding that the DPP “cannot represent the mainstream public opinion on the island”.

“[The results] will not change the basic landscape and development trend of cross-Strait relations,” he said in a statement. “Taiwan is China’s Taiwan…our determination is as firm as rock. [Beijing] firmly oppose(s) the separatist activities aimed at ‘Taiwan independence’ as well as foreign interference”.

Shortly after, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded with its own statement, calling on the Beijing authorities “to respect the election results, face reality and give up suppressing Taiwan in order for positive cross-strait interactions to return to the right track.” 

Reactions from world leaders

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Lai on his victory Saturday night, issuing a statement expressing his confidence “that Taiwan will continue to serve as an example for all who strive for freedom, democracy, and prosperity.”

“The United States congratulates Dr. Lai Ching-te on his victory in Taiwan’s presidential election,” the statement read. “We also congratulate the Taiwan people for once again demonstrating the strength of their robust democratic system and electoral process.” 

“The United States is committed to maintaining cross-Strait peace and stability, and the peaceful resolution of differences, free from coercion and pressure. The partnership between the American people and the people on Taiwan, rooted in democratic values, continues to broaden and deepen across economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties.”

US President Joe Biden was less enthused about the results, saying on Saturday “We do not support independence…” when he was asked about the election. Washington continues to not have any formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. 

Britain’s foreign minister David Cameron congratulated Lai’s win, releasing a statement calling the elections “a testament to Taiwan’s vibrant democracy.”

“I hope that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait will renew efforts to resolve differences peacefully through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion,” he said. 

Earlier this month, the DPP released an ad campaign featuring current president Tsai Ing-wen

in the driver’s seat of a car, accompanied by Lai Ching-te in the passenger seat next to her. The pair talk about their leadership styles over the past few years, praising each others’ “fierce” stance over national security, and “defending our democracy.” 

At the end of the 4-minute video, the outgoing president hands the keys over to her successor, saying “You will undoubtedly drive better than me.” 

Lai’s driving buddy sitting in the passenger seat for the remainder of the video is Hsiao Bi-khim, who tells her driver “Let’s take the road of democracy. Straight forwards towards democracy.” 

On X, Tsai posted the video, saying “Good drivers keep their hands on the wheel & eyes on the road. These several years, we’ve driven through challenges, reforms, & the pandemic. We’ve made it this far down the road of democracy, no matter how winding & rough, thanks to the support of the #Taiwanese people.”

“Now, it’s time I hand the keys to @ChingteLai & @bikhim for the next part of the journey. I have no doubt they are capable & dependable drivers, & that they will make sure we stay on the right path.”

Tsai will end her term as president in May. President-elect Lai will be inaugurated on May 20th.

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When 2022 began, there was trepidation about what might happen in at least ten regions. Topping most lists were concerns about tensions in Ukraine, Afghanistan and Ethiopia.

What actually transpired in 2022 were some of the most shocking humanitarian scenes in modern history – with a backdrop of the continuing pandemic and extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change.

This has prompted experts to speak of an era of “polycrisis”, where countries are dealing with cascading and interconnected crises.

The World Bank estimates 23 countries – with a combined population of 850 million people – currently face high or medium intensity conflict. The number of conflict-affected countries has doubled over the past decade.

This has triggered massive refugee flows. As of May 2022, a global record of 100 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide.

With the backdrop of last year’s bitter legacy, what crises are most concerning as we head into 2023?

There are a range of new flashpoints and ongoing deadly conflicts the world has largely ignored due to the focus on Ukraine.

2022’s bitter legacy

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been seared into our memories of 2022. It has been one of the fastest and largest displacement crises in decades.

Also making headlines last year was continuing violence in Afghanistan, where six million people were on the brink of famine by August 2022 according to the UN refugee agency, and the mayhem in Myanmar following the military’s February 2021 coup.

The opening days of 2023 look bleak. Those in Ukraine and Afghanistan are now facing winter without access to food, water, health care and other essential supplies.

The situation in Myanmar is only worsening, especially for ethnic minority regions and in Rohingya refugee camps.

New flashpoint: Iran

In Iran, 22-year-old Mahsa (Jina) Amini was arrested at a metro station by the morality police who enforce the dress code, and she died after being held in their custody on September 16 last year.

Her death set off a sustained uprising in more than 150 cities and 140 universities in all 31 provinces of Iran, according to UN human rights chief Volker Türk.

More than 15,000 people, including children, have been arrested in connection with the protests and are threatened with execution. At least 26 of them currently face the death penalty, and at least four have reportedly already been executed. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps say the average age of arrested protesters is as young as 15.

The prospects of a peaceful resolution of this crisis in 2023 are low and require strong global intervention.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong has made firm statements against the death penalty and this “dark chapter” in Iran’s history with her Canadian and New Zealand counterparts, and she should continue this rhetoric.

Tensions in the Asia-Pacific

In our region, Sri Lanka faced economic collapse and a mostly peaceful uprising in mid-2022, and remains in a precarious position.

North Korea remains an aggressive actor. Military tensions on the Korean peninsula have risen sharply this year as Pyongyang has carried out an unprecedented blitz of weapons tests, including the launch of one of its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles in November.

From Australia’s perspective, our primary national security risk remains developments in the South China Sea and Taiwan.

More aggressive language on Taiwan emerged from the Chinese Communist Party Congress, and statements by President Joe Biden indicated the United States would not stand by if China invaded Taiwan.

Current Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has pledged to double Japan’s defence spending in response to these tensions.

There’s a high risk of miscalculation on this issue from all sides, and there’s the growing threat of grey zone tactics – coercive measures which don’t qualify as conventional military battle.

We must avoid tunnel vision

What we also witnessed in 2022 was that the world’s gaze and assistance was so firmly focused on events in Ukraine that many other long-running conflicts producing extreme human suffering were ignored or receded into the background.

For example, it’s hard to overstate the severity of the crises in East Africa of food, shelter and health systems – though comparably this has received little media attention.

What’s more, the UN Human Rights Office estimates more than 306,000 civilians were killed over ten years in the Syrian conflict, and any peaceful resolution is still “elusive” according to UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen.

There are deep structural conflicts in Haiti, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Syria, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo threatening people, species and the environment. The global community must pay attention.

Dealing with ‘polycrisis’

Nations, civil society movements and the UN must be nimble enough to deal with the state of “polycrisis” or “permacrisis” the globe is enduring – where armed conflicts combine with and exacerbate issues such as inflation, cyber threats, geo-politics and the energy crisis.

World leaders are dealing with a host of pressing issues:

• the climate emergency
• the socio-economic repercussions of the COVID pandemic, by no means over
• 100 million displaced people
• the increasing global population, now over eight billion
• the rising cost of living.

All this means 2023 is likely to be another turbulent year.

Susan Harris Rimmer, Professor and Director of the Policy Innovation Hub, Griffith Business School, Griffith University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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“The destruction of Taiwan’s democracy and freedom would be a grave defeat for the world’s democracies,” she said. 

Urging for nation-wide political unity as Chinese cyberattacks and disinformation continues to destabilise the country, Tsai said Taiwan must increase its resilience in the face of China’s rising authoritarianism. 

“Only by respecting the commitment of the Taiwanese people to our sovereignty, democracy, and freedom can there be a foundation for resuming constructive interaction across the Taiwan Strait,” she said.

“The Beijing authorities should not make any misjudgment on account of Taiwan’s vigorous democratic system. They must not mistake there is room for compromise in the Taiwanese people’s commitment to democracy and freedom.”

As military action towards Taiwan has increased over the past twelve months, China has also been responsible for the growing rates of cyberattacks experienced by Tsai’s office and the ministries of foreign affairs and defence. 

Disinformation efforts from the Chinese Government often rise in the lead-up to Taiwanese elections, a move which Tsai calls an interference with her country’s democracy.

“Taiwan is one of the countries most targeted by information warfare, a non-traditional security threat that persistently interferes with the functioning of our democratic system,” she said. 

“We should unanimously and resolutely stand behind our free and democratic system, no matter how much external pressure we face”.

During her speech on Monday’s celebrations, which saw warplanes soar above the presidential office and advanced jet trainers performing aerial displays, Tsai promised to boost transparency and anti-disinformation efforts to combat Chinese infiltration and sabotage, adding that her administration’s daily pandemic briefings were conducted to reduce panic and misinformation among the population. 

“In facing infiltration and attempts at sabotage by external forces, we must respond with a more transparent and democratic approach,” she said.

“During the pandemic, the regular press conferences held by our Central Epidemic Command Center have helped our public stay on top of the latest information, reduced panic, and prevented disinformation from affecting public confidence in our pandemic response.”

“Going forward, we will continue to strengthen fact-checking mechanisms targeting disinformation, enhance the transparency and accessibility of information, and help our people more effectively distinguish fact from fiction to neutralise the threat of information warfare.” 

Tsai also reassured the world that the tensions were not a threat to the global semiconductor supply – 65 per cent of which comes from Taiwan.

“I want to specifically emphasise one point to my fellow citizens and the international community, which is that the concentration of the semiconductor sector in Taiwan is not a risk, but is the key to the reorganisation of the global semiconductor industry.”

“We will continue to maintain Taiwan’s advantages and capacity in leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing processes, and will help optimise the worldwide restructuring of the semiconductor supply chain, giving our semiconductor firms an even more prominent global role.” 

Tsai’s speech marks the country’s 111th Double Tenth National Day Celebration — the 73rd National Day since the Republic of China government relocated to Taiwan. 

“Provided there is rationality, equality, and mutual respect, we are willing to work with the Beijing authorities to find a mutually agreeable arrangement for upholding peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” Tsai reiterated towards the end of her speech. “This is our shared responsibility.” 

“Taiwan is democratic, free, prosperous, and culturally diverse. Not only has Taiwan become a focus of global attention, but our people have come together around a shared determination to safeguard our homeland. Today, saying “I am Taiwanese” is a statement of honour and an expression of pride.” 

Over the weekend, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Taiwan is part of China, and “has no president and is not an independent country”.

“The root cause of the current tensions in the Taiwan Strait lies in the Democratic Progressive Party authorities’ stubborn insistence on Taiwan independence and secession,” she said, referring to Taiwan’s ruling party.

“We are willing to create a broad space for peaceful reunification, but we will never leave any space for Taiwan independence and secession activities.”

“Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.” 

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The 82-year old landed in Songshan Airport in the country’s capital, Taipei, late on Tuesday night, accompanied by a delegation of six fellow American lawmakers. 

On Tuesday night, Taiwan’s iconic building, Taipei 101, lit up with messages flashing: “THANK YOU” – “TW (heart) US” – “Speaker Pelosi” – “Welcome to Taiwan.”

Pelosi arrived on a U.S. Air Force transport plane from Malaysia, as part of an Asia tour that includes visits to Singapore, South Korea and Japan. 

Pelosi is the most-senior U.S. political leader to visit Taiwan since 1997, when then-House speaker Republican Newt Gingrich visited.

Taiwan’s foreign minister, Joseph Wu, and the top U.S. representative in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk, greeted Pelosi and her delegation at their arrival. 

Pelosi’s visit signals U.S commitment to the self-ruled island of almost 24 million people — but China is furious, condemning it as a threat to the recent stability in the Taiwan Strait, despite tensions elevating since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

China does not consider Taiwan a sovereign nation and has indicated the use of military force to bring it under its control. 

Taiwan’s presidential office has announced Pelosi will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen this morning where the pair expect to have lunch together.

Shortly after landing, Pelosi made a statement, saying: “Our congressional delegation’s visit to Taiwan honours America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant democracy.”  

“America’s solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy.” 

In an opinion piece published in Washington Post after landing, titled “Why I’m leading a congressional delegation to Taiwan,” Pelosi said her visit “should be seen as an unequivocal statement that America stands with Taiwan, our democratic partner, as it defends itself and its freedom”.

She praised Taiwan’s commitment to democratic government, citing the Taiwan Relations Act, which passed 43 years ago, describing it as “one of the most important pillars of US foreign policy in the Asia Pacific,” that “set out America’s commitment to a democratic Taiwan, providing the framework for an economic and diplomatic relationship that would quickly flourish into a key partnership”.

“[the Act] fostered a deep friendship rooted in shared interests and values: self-determination and self-government, democracy and freedom, human dignity and human rights”.

In her op ed, Pelosi, the second in the line of succession to the U.S. presidency, also criticised China’s role in causing rising tensions with Taiwan in the past few years. 

“We cannot stand by as the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] proceeds to threaten Taiwan – and democracy itself,” Pelosi wrote.

“[China] has ramped up patrols of bombers, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft near and even over Taiwan’s air defense zone.” 

“We must stand by Taiwan, which is an island of resilience.”

Pelosi added that China’s Department of Defence have indicated their army will “likely [be] preparing for a contingency to unify Taiwan with the PRC by force”.

Shortly after Pelosi’s arrival in Taipei on Tuesday night, China’s foreign ministry criticised her visit, saying it “has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

In recent weeks, Chinese warplanes have been seen flying close to the median line dividing the Taiwan Strait, according to sources obtained by Reuters. 

Chinese state news agency Xinhua has reported live-fire drills and other exercises would be conducted by the Chinese Maritime Safety Administration around Taiwan between Thursday to Sunday, while the Chinese military has said it would direct joint air and sea drills near Taiwan beginning this week. 

The defence ministry of Taiwan said its armed forces have “reinforced” the island’s alertness level, after more than twenty Chinese aircraft were seen entering its air defence identification zone on Tuesday. 

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said at a White House briefing that the U.S “is not going to be intimidated” by China’s threats and “will not engage in sabre-rattling.”

“We will continue to support Taiwan, defend a free and open Indo-Pacific and seek to maintain communication with Beijing,” Kirby said.

Days before Pelosi’s visit, Kirby told reporters there was “no reason” for China to turn a visit into a “pretext to increase aggressive military activity”.

“China appears to be positioning itself to potentially take further steps in the coming days,” Kirby said. “These potential steps . . . could include military provocations, such as firing missiles in the Taiwan Strait.”

“We’re going to watch this very, very closely. We’re going to make sure that she has a safe and secure visit.”

On the same day, US secretary of state Antony Blinken advised China to act responsibly and “not to engage in any escalation,” while China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said “The Chinese People’s Liberation Army will not sit back.”

According to Reuters, sources close to Pelosi said she will meet outspoken activists against China’s human rights abuses during her visit in Taiwan. 

Russia’s Foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, has since come out to condemn Pelosi’s visit, calling the U.S “a state provocateur.”

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The Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that in the spirit of “Taiwan Can Help” and as a member of the international community’s urge for democratic states, it will offer Ukraine “with urgently needed medical relief supplies in a timely manner”.

According to a source interviewed by Reuters, Tsai’s monthly salary is roughly NT$400,000 (just under AUD$20,000) 

In a meeting this week, Tsai said that the determination of Ukraine’s people has garnered support from around the world. 

“The forces of global democracy supporting Ukraine are growing stronger,” Tsai said. “As a member of the global partners of democracy, Taiwan is not absent, and we fully support Ukraine.”

The Foreign Ministry said the salary of the President, Vice-President and Premier will be put into the country’s Relieve Disaster Association, which will then send the funds to Ukraine. The association was established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in 1999 to handle surplus donations after a major earthquake in September that year, which killed more than 2500 people.

The funds will be distributed to Ukrainian refugees by various groups, including the government’s de facto embassy in Warsaw, the Polish government and other “designated” non-government organisations. 

Last week, in a symbolic gesture, Taiwan announced sanctions against Russia, despite minimal trade between the two countries. 

“I hope that our compatriots, as well as all our party partners in public office, can fully respond to this action and firmly express to the world that Taiwan stands with Ukraine, and Taiwan stands with democracy and freedom,” Tsai said.

In the past two years, President Tsai has been credited with leading the country to a low COVID-19 infection rate due to a swift response and aiding countries through its huge donation of masks.

On Tuesday, a number of Taiwanese companies pledged a total NT$10 million (AUD$488,579) in donations to a planned fund for Ukrainians who have fled their country in the past week.

Deputy Legislative Speaker Tsai Chi-chang said at a press conference that the government-backed Relieve Disaster Association fund will collect donations from corporations and members of the public.

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Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-Wen made it onto one of the covers, as well as Black Lives Matter founders Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi, rapper Megan Thee Stallion, and activist and actor Gabrielle Union.

President Tsai has been heralded this year throughout the course of the pandemic for her administration’s effective measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak in Taiwan.

Many other women have also been included on the list for their efforts in fighting the virus. In America, associate professor of engineering at John Hopkins University Lauren Gardner was recognised for her role in creating the COVID dashboard – a free, online website that tracks positive cases and deaths related to COVID-19. 

Infectious-disease specialist Dr. Camilla Rothe from Germany was recognised as one of the first scientists to warn the world about the pandemic as she discovered Germany’s first case of the new coronavirus. Veteran ER nurse Amy O’Sullivan from New York City was recognised for her tireless efforts during the pandemic as she worked for days on end, tending to the sick at her hospital in Brooklyn. Shi Zhengli from China led one of the first scientific teams that isolated SARS-CoV-2 at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

The TIME 100 List is divided into five main categories: Pioneers, Artists, Leaders, Titans and Icons. Below’s we break down the categories to learn more about the different female game-changers featured.

Pioneers
A diverse range of movers and shakers who’ve made extraordinary first made it onto the list.

Astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir were featured for their work in leading the first ever all-female space walk.

Filmmakers Tourmaline and Waad Al-Kateab were recognised for their trailblazing work putting new stories onto the big and small screen.

Dutch physician and activist Rebecca Gomperts was recognised for her life-long work trying to get women safe access to abortions in countries where abortion is illegal. 

Other Pioneers: 
Megan Thee Stallion – US rapper of hits including “Girls in the Hood”, “B.I.T.C.H” and “Captain Hook”
Julie K Brown – investigative reporter who broke Jeffery Epstein story in the Miami Herald 
Tomi Adeyemi – bestselling Nigerian-American and author of “Children of Blood and Bone” and “Children of Virtue and Vengeance” 
Cecilia Martinez – environmental activist
Maya Moore – WNBA basketballer
Gabriela Camara – Mexican chef, restaurant owner of Cala in San Francisco and author of “My Mexico City Kitchen: Recipes and Convictions”
Shiori Ito – Japanese sexual violence activist 

Artists
On the artists’ list in the TIME 100, we see familiar names including Netflix star comedian Ali Wong, who had two mega-hit shows “Hard Knock Wife” and “Baby Cobra” followed by her 2019 rom-com “Always Be My Maybe.”

Phoebe Waller-Bridge was recognised for her show “Fleabag”, and Michaela Coel for her show “I May Destroy You”. 

Other Artists:
Selena Gomez – released her third No. 1 album, Rare, released her own cooking show Selena + Chef, launched her own beauty line, Rare Beauty, and pledges to raise $100 million for mental-health services in underserved communities. 
JoJo Siwa – American dancer, singer, actress, and YouTube personality
Halsey – American singer, songwriter, and activist 
Jennifer Hudson – American singer, actress, and philanthropist 
Anais Mitchell – American singer-songwriter, musician, and playwright
LASTESIS – the Chilean feminist performance collective
Julie Mehretu – artist and architect, 2019 Venice Biennale’s 58th International exhibition “May You Live in Interesting Times” 

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HOY! 21hrs brasil – 20hrs chile, visionado de obra “el violador eres tú” con subtítulos en + conversatorio con traducción simultánea. acceso libre en enlace en bio. les esperamos

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Leaders

Angela Merkel, Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris and Mary Kay Henry joined Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-Wen on the list for most Influential leaders.

Other names included Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, Nemonte Nenquimo, president of the Waorani of Pastaza and a co-founder of the Ceibo Alliance, Ursula Von Der Leyen,German politician and the president of the European Commission, and Jung Eun-Kyeong, a South Korean infectious disease expert currently serving as the first Commissioner of Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

The executive director of National Nurses United and of the California Nurses Association Committee, Bonnie Castillo, was also recognised on the Leaders list. 

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I’m incredibly honored to be named to the @TIME 100 most influential people in the world! This award lets nurses everywhere know that our expertise is recognized, and it validates our fight to speak truth to power. It means everything to nurses to know that the world is listening. LINK IN BIO #NursePower #NursesUnite #UnionNurses #TIME100 #MostInfluential #TimeMagazine #Nurses #Covid19 #Coronavirus #HealthcareWorkers #healthcare #RN #registerednurse #UnionNurse #NationalNursesUnited #NurseLife

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Titans
What are ‘Titans’? People who’re leading huge corporations or movements, according to TIME.

This year, the Titans list included actor and activist Gabrielle Union, Head of Feeding America, Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, the first managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from an emerging market country, Bulgarian Kristalina Georgieva and SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell.

Other Titans:
Mackenzie Scott – American philanthropist 
Shari Redstone – American media executive, chairperson of ViacomCBS and president of National Amusements
Lisa Nishimura – American film producer

Icons
In this category, big-names in sports are prominent, including tennis player Naomi Osaka, soccer player and Captain of the US Football team Megan Rapinoe and track and field athlete Allyson Felix.

Black Lives Matter founders Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi were also on this list, as well as American powerhouse political activist and writer Angela Davis.

Other Icons: 
Sister Norma Pimentel – executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley
Bilkis – Indiaian activist
Arussi Unda – feminist from Mexico who organised a national women’s strike in March 2020 
Lina Attalah – Chief Editor of independent Egyptian online newspaper Mada Masr

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Diplomats and representatives from the U.S and other nations sat on chairs spread 1.5m apart during the ceremony, where Tsai pledged a number of strong initiatives for her government over the next four years, including the development of ICT industries, bolstering national security and building a base for next-generation technologies.

Amid her record approval rating though, it was her forceful message to China during her speech that has made global headlines.

“We will not accept the Beijing authorities’ use of ‘one country, two systems’ to downgrade Taiwan and undermine the cross-strait status quo,” she said. “We stand fast by this principle.”

“Cross-strait relations have reached a historical turning point. Both sides have a duty to find a way to co-exist over the long term and prevent the intensification of antagonism and differences.”

Since the beginning of her presidency in May 2016, Tsai has been pressured by China’s president Xi Jinping to fold under his demand that Taiwan recognise itself as part of mainland China. China has said for years that any formal declaration of independence by Taiwan would be met by military force. Back in June last year she Tweeted: “As long as I’m president, ‘one country, two systems’ will never be an option.”

In her speech on Wednesday, Tsai called for “peace, parity, democracy and dialogue” with China, and expressed hopes “the leader on the other side of the strait will take on The same responsibility, and work with us to jointly stabilise the long-term development of cross-strait relations.”

Tsai applauded her citizens who have “amazed the international community,” for “exemplifying humanity’s best qualities and helping us successfully bring the coronavirus outbreak under control.”

“No matter the difficulties we face, we can always count on our democracy, our solidarity, and our sense of responsibility towards each other to help us overcome challenges, weather difficult times, and stand steadfast in the world. You have shown the world Taiwan’s commitment to civic virtues, even in times of greatest distress.”

In the last few days, more than 92 foreign dignitaries have sent video messages of congratulations to Tsai, and leaders from the US have taken to social media broadcast their support. On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Tweeted: “Congratulations to Dr. Tsai Ing-wen on the commencement of your second term as Taiwan’s President. With President Tsai at the helm, our partnership with Taiwan will continue to flourish.”

Pompeo also issued a statement hours before Tsai’s inaugural speech; praising her “courage and vision in leading Taiwan’s vibrant democracy is an inspiration to the region and the world.”
“The United States has long considered Taiwan a force for good in the world and a reliable partner,” the statement said. “We have a shared vision for the region — one that includes rule of law, transparency, prosperity, and security for all.”

Joe Biden took to Twitter to say, “Taiwan must remain strong, principled, and bipartisan.”

Indications of potential retaliatory actions were cast by Chinese Foreign Ministry, when on the same day, it issued a statement, which said, “The Chinese side will take necessary measures to respond to the wrong actions of the US, and the US should bear the consequences.” 

Tsai will likely face more aggressive moves from the neighbouring superpower in her second term. China has barred Taiwan from joining international gatherings including the World Health Organization (WHO). Earlier this week, the US made a concerted effort to grant the island nation of almost 24 million access to the World Health Assembly, but failed.

Currently, only 14 countries hold official ties with Taiwan, including Nicaragua, Nauru and Honduras.
In the last few years, Pacific Island nations including Kiribati and the Solomon Islands have switched diplomatic relations to Beijing.

In January, Tsai secured her second term in a landslide election victory, which was the biggest election margin for any president of Taiwan since democratic elections began in 1996. Tsai commences her second term with an approval rating of 61 percent, which, according to a survey by broadcaster TVBS released Monday, is the highest since she first took office four years ago.

Since Tsai’s presidency, China’s military have heightened patrols and increased military exercises along the Taiwan Strait that divides the two lands.

Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Aljazeera News she believes the Cornell graduate and former lawyer has what it takes to negative the challenging terrains. “She’s a very good listener,” Glaser said. “She’s very calm, very cool. And she has enormous skills as a negotiator.”

“She will stand her ground in preserving a position. When she makes mistakes, she’s also able to recover from them. If you look back on her first term, there were points where she had very low support in public opinion. But she was able to come back. It will be difficult for any leader to handle all of the challenges that Taiwan faces. The hurdles are enormous, regardless of how capable a president is.”

Since the pandemic began in mid-January, Taiwan’s international status has grown with Tsai’s leadership being praised as responsible for the successful handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, the island, which is less than the size of Tasmania and has almost as many people as Australia, recorded just 440 cases and seven deaths and no new cases since May 7. 

Tomorrow, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will deliver his annual report to the National People’s Congress in Beijing, where he is expected to address the issue of cross-strait relations. Last year, Li announced China would “resolutely oppose and deter any separatist schemes or activities seeking Taiwanese independence.”

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President Tsai is one of a number of female heads of state that we’ve been following, examining how their leadership is supporting low infection rates and extensive testing. The performance of female leaders during the pandemic is remarkable when you consider just how few women are leading countries around the world.

Now, the first female president of Taiwan has shared what’s been working with TIME magazine and issued a call to the world to work together.

She describes Taiwan as an island of resilience, with centuries of hardship that has taught them how to cope and adapt.

But that’s not all. She says that it’s been a combination of efforts by government, medical professionals, the private sector and society at large that has aided their success. The lessons of the 2003 SARS outbreak remain — putting them on high alert for how quickly a virus can spread. They began monitoring incoming passengers from Wuhan as early as December. In January, they established the Central Epidemic Command Center to handle prevention measures and introduced early travel restrictions and quarantine protocols for high-risk travelers.

The first positive case occurred on January 21, and they commenced vigorous tracking efforts to source every potential contact. As of the 14th April, they had fewer than 400 cases.

The government took over the mass production of medical masks early, so much so that they have an extensive surplus supply that they have been donating to the world.

“Taiwan has effectively managed the containment of the corona-virus within our borders,” President Tsai writes.

“Yet on a global level, COVID-19 is a humanitarian disaster that requires the joint efforts of all countries. Although Taiwan has been unfairly excluded from the WHO and the U.N., we remain willing and able to utilize our strengths across manufacturing, medicine and technology to work with the world.

She calls on a collective, global effort to fight the humanitarian crisis.

“Global crises test the fabric of the international community, stretching us at the seams and threatening to tear us apart. Now more than ever, every link in this global network must be accounted for. We must set aside our differences and work together for the benefit of humankind. The fight against COVID-19 will require the collective efforts of people around the world.”

Read her full piece here and check out Jessie Tu’s recent analysis of Tsai Ing-wen’s leadership here.

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This week, male health officials from the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) took a public stance challenging gender norms by wearing pink masks at a press conference. The move was in response to stories coming out that a number of male students in schools across the country were being bullied for wearing pink coloured face masks.

Chen Shih-chung, the Minister of Health and Welfare, led a briefing on Monday and said that as a result of the bullying, some male students had begun refusing to wear their masks to school, putting themselves and others at risk of being exposed to the disease.

“It’s fine for a man to wear pink,” Chen said in a press conference. He later tweeted: “Pink is for everyone and no colour is exclusive for girls or boys. Gender Equality lies at the heart of Taiwan values.”

Chen took to Facebook to explain his attempts to normalise the colour pink, and encouraged citizens to see masks as protective gear, regardless of their colour.

According to the country’s mask rationing system, citizens don’t have a choice in the colour of the masks they purchase.

The briefing on Monday triggered a wave of support from public figures including Taiwan’s Prime Minister Su Tseng-Chang, who wore a pink mask on Tuesday and the President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, who showed her support by writing on a Facebook post: “I urge everyone not to limit their choices based on colour stereotypes.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan also tweeted: “No colour is exclusive to girls or boys. #GenderEquality lies at the heart of #Taiwan values.

Wang Ting-yu, a Democratic Progressive Party Taiwan Legislator, wrote on Facebook
“To parents who are concerned that their sons are afraid to wear pink face masks to school, officials from Taiwan’s Epidemic Command Centre have today showed up wearing pink face masks to challenge gender norms.”

Government agencies including The Ministry of Education and the Council of Agriculture showed their support by changing their Facebook logos to pink.

In 2019, Banqiao Senior High School made national headlines when it created “Manskirt week” to challenge gender norms in the school amending its dress code to allow male students to wear skirts.

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Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan’s first female president and leader of the Democratic Progressive Party, has shown a stolid, quiet composure throughout this global pandemic, and is largely responsible for the island’s small number of fatalities.

An impressive achievement, considering Taiwan’s geographic proximity to China, and the fact that it has almost 24 million people on an island just under half the size of Tasmania.

Currently, of the 100-plus nations affected, Taiwan has the lowest incidence rate per capita — roughly 1 in every 500,000 people.

In the last 24 hours, President Tsai has announced her country will donate 10 million masks to countries that have been most severely impacted by COVID-19. Taiwan’s roughly $35 billion stimulus package will aid the country’s first large-scale humanitarian assistance initiative since the beginning of the crisis.

We activated the @Taiwan_CDC’s Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) back in January, and I visited them today to thank our unsung heroes for their non-stop, #AllHandsOnDeck efforts to contain the #COVID19 outbreak & keep the people of #Taiwan safe. pic.twitter.com/3uGUTxt7LF

— 蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) April 2, 2020

Seven million masks will be allocated to countries including Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Belgium and the U.K. Two million masks will go to the U.S. Currently, under the Taiwan-US epidemic prevention cooperation framework, supplies of up to 100,000 face masks per week have already been making their way across the North Pacific Ocean.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced plans to hold discussions with EU countries to provide resources and aid. It also announced donations of thermal imaging devices such as infrared forehead thermometers to the country’s diplomatic allies, which have dwindled in the last few years, and currently include Nicaragua, Guatemala, Nauru and The Marshall Islands.

The European Union thanks Taiwan for its donation of 5.6 million masks to help fight the #coronavirus. We really appreciate this gesture of solidarity. This global virus outbreak requires international solidarity & cooperation. Acts like this show that we are #StrongerTogether.

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 1, 2020

The country’s “Taiwan can help” campaign has a humble agenda; to offer to share its knowledge and experience with other nations facing worse conditions.

“Over the past months, we have seen countless acts of bravery and sacrifice from medical workers around the world,” President Tsai said in a press conference earlier this week. “It is our duty as global citizens to give them our full support.”

“We need to step up cooperation, and that means sharing experiences and materials, and working together to develop treatments and vaccines.”

“Going forward, we will donate surplus masks and other supplies to our allies and countries hit hardest by Covid-19. These supplies will go to medical workers on the front lines who are working around the clock to save lives.”

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen tweeted her thanks, calling the donation a “gesture of solidarity” showing links between affected countries will lead them all to be “stronger together” in the fight against the coronavirus.

Prioritising its own citizens

Back in January, the country imposed strict export bans on surgical masks to ensure its manufacturing quantities of 10 million per day are kept within the country and used for its own citizens.

Taiwan also rationed the purchase of three masks per person per week through an app that offers status updates on 6000 chemists connected to offical database about the availability of masks. The stringent guidelines (the government now requires its citizens to wear masks while taking public transport and while indoors) and the relative efficiency in obtaining facemasks has been credited with helping to achieve a low number of cases and deaths. As of this morning, the country has reported 329 cases and five deaths.

In Australia, with only a 7% larger population than Taiwan, there are currently 5,224 confirmed cases and 23 deaths. 

Lessons from SARS

On 14 March 2003, the first cases of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) were reported in Taiwan’s hospitals, which over the course of several months, led to hundreds of reported cases.

Taiwan’s Department of Health initiated a system to respond to the potential spread of SARS resulting from the cases. Kolas Yotaka, the Executive Yuan spokesperson, who is aboriginal Taiwanese, told NBS News last month the country’s health insurance ensures citizens are comfortable visiting hospitals.

“If you suspect you have coronavirus, you won’t have to worry that you can’t afford the hospital visit to get tested,” she said.

“You can get a free test, and if you’re forced to be isolated, during the 14 days, we pay for your food, lodging and medical care. No one would avoid seeing the doctor because they can’t pay for health care.”

Stolid, calm leadership

There is something to be said of President Tsai’s consistent composure and self-assured comportment. The Cornell University law graduate and London School of Economics alumna has been credited for her relatable, congenital demeanour as president, a position she has held since May 2016.

Taiwanese friends and family of mine have spoken about the approachable tenor of her public persona, and noted her candid “reputation for being wonky.”

“She doesn’t use complicated language the way many world leaders do when they make a speech,” Helen Stenbeck said. “Her linguistic approach is much more down-to-earth. She wants to make sure everyone, regardless of class or background, understands her when she speaks. She speaks in a very colloquial manner.”

Stenbeck, who was born in Taiwan and emigrated to Australia at 12, closely follows Taiwanese news.

Though President Tsai might lack the charisma and out-going flair of some better-known world leaders, the citizens of Taiwan have grown increasingly endeared to her sincerity, intelligence and tenacity.

Calm down, and don’t panic about toilet paper

A poster issued from the Taiwan’s Ministry of Economics has been making its round on the digital ether.

“We only have one arse. Don’t stock pile. Don’t believe gossip,” reads the poster, followed by a graph informing citizens of the ingredients of toilet paper, and the place of manufacture. Taiwan is safe, they’re assuring its citizens. Taiwan will supply the sanitary needs of its citizens.

The poster also warns of harsh penalty for those seeking to make a profit from stockpiling essential needs; a maximum of three years jail and 300,000 NT. ($16,390)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs insists the “Taiwan can help!” campaign is not just a slogan.

“Taiwan can in fact make a real difference through concrete action,” it announced in a press release.

“The international community must strengthen epidemic prevention and containment cooperation, together tackling the serious challenges posed by this pandemic, seeking global solutions, and helping others as much as we help ourselves.”

She loves dogs

I couldn’t help myself. It’s worth noting that President Tsai is a dog-lover and owner of three adorable labs.

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Ing-wen reclaimed 57 percent of the popular vote; a result conveying the wariness of Taiwanese nationals against China’s mounting efforts to bring the country under its control. Such resistance has heightened over the past 12 months against the backdrop of hostility and public protests in Hong Kong against Beijing.

China’s leader Xi Jinping has previously warned Taiwan that unification of the two states was inevitable. His government harnessed opportunities to woo Taiwanese nationals with mainland employment without proper consultation with Tsai Ing-wen’s administration; also threatening the use of force if Taiwan failed to comply.

Ing-wen was not expected to win, but her victory sends a strong message to China and the rest of the world; a sentiment captured in her victory speech.

“With each presidential election, Taiwan is showing the world how much we cherish our democratic way of life,” she said during a press conference in Taipei. “We must work to keep our country safe and defend our sovereignty.”

Compulsory voting does not exist in Taiwan, but the election drew a significant electorate turn-out.

It is uncertain how China will respond to Ing-wen’s re-election. Some speculate that Beijing will only redouble its efforts to isolate Taiwan diplomatically, while the threat of war remains a possibility.

Yesterday, China criticised global sentiment which overwhelmingly endorsed Ing-wen’s re-election. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang urged the international community to promote the “One-China principle”.

“We hope and believe that … [they will] understand and support the just cause of Chinese people to oppose the secessionist activities for ‘Taiwan independence’ and realise national reunification,” he said.

Several foreign leaders have congratulated Ing-wen on the victory, claiming the result is a positive sign of democracy.

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