Yeh Yung-chih remembered on Taiwan's first gender equality day

紀念葉永鋕，台灣首個性別平等日

15-year-old's death in 2000 sparked national conversation


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Education announced Taiwan's first Gender Equality Education Day on Thursday (April 20), 23 years after the death of a 15-year-old student caused the country to reflect on gender equality and how those in sexual or gender minorities experience life in Taiwanese society.

Yeh Yung-chih (葉永鋕) was a 15-year-old student who was frequently bullied by his peers for his perceived lack of masculinity, appearance and actions. On April 20, 2000, Yeh died after he was found in a school bathroom with severe head trauma.

In the five years following his death, the cause of death was officially attributed to three different medical incidents, though the Kaohsiung High Court ruled in 2006 that Yeh slipped and fell when leaving the bathroom, injuring his head.

Yeh’s case was publicized by LGBT activists and his mother, who disagreed that his death was an accident, given the well documented history of bullying, the severity of his injuries, and that Yeh was found partially undressed in a way similar to how he had been left when bullied previously.

The resulting growth in awareness of gender issues eventually resulted in the passing of Taiwan’s first Gender Equality Education law in 1993, the Ministry of Education said in a statement on Thursday.

Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) said that from now on, every April 20 will remind Taiwan to progress toward a more inclusive and warmer society. The ministry also said that it will begin providing free sanitary products across all school levels beginning August, and that it will be increasing education on women’s health.

“Through consciously providing education on menstruation knowledge, the public can come to understand menstruation issues, and a culture of understanding will be shaped to create a more friendly environment for gender equality,” the ministry said.

Tainan City Councilor Li Chong-lim’s (李宗霖) used the day to call for “gender friendly” bathrooms in the district’s schools, per UDN, and said that while the national gender equality law requires respect for gender differences, specific regulations around bathrooms need to be written. Meanwhile, Yam News reported that Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) said gender equality is key to achieving the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals.

According to U.N. data, Taiwan ranked best in Asia for gender equality and sixth in the world in 2019. Legislation allowing for same-sex marriage was passed in 2017, making Taiwan the first country in Asia to do so.

Despite this, the News Lens reported in 2021 that nearly half of Taiwan women experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, and LGBTQ people often face discrimination and a lack of visibility in Taiwanese society.