Woman deemed too short to join Taiwan fire department files lawsuit

台灣女子因身高太矮無法加入消防隊而提起訴訟

Woman under 160 cm height requirement, fire department cites safety concerns


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s constitutional court on Tuesday (Jan. 16) began reviewing a case lodged by a woman deemed too short to join the fire department.

A woman surnamed Chen (陳) failed the examination process to become a firefighter in 2020 because she is only 158.9 centimeters tall, per CNA. The department’s minimum height requirement for female staff is 160 cm.?

Chen had already filed an administrative lawsuit to challenge the decision, which she lost.?

The constitutional court began an oral hearing on Tuesday morning to hear submissions from Chen, her lawyer, government representatives, administrative agencies, and experts. The court heard from the fire department, which said there is a practical requirement for firefighters to be of a certain height.

The fire department said that fire fighting appliances require rapid deployment when arriving at the scene of an emergency, and if operators are not of a certain height, this deployment will be slower and less effective. The department also said that users below the height threshold will experience blind spots when driving certain firefighting vehicles, affecting safety.

The department also said that when working as a team, firefighters need to be within a similar height range. The example of carrying stretchers was used to explain that a large height difference would mean rescues would be less effective.

The outcome of the legal challenge is required to be determined within three months, with a two-month extension available if needed. According to regulations for hiring police, firefighters, and certain other civil servants in Taiwan, female staff must be taller than 160 cm, and male staff taller than 165 cm, with slightly lower height requirements for Indigenous people.