Gender and Judicial Reform
Gender Judicial Reform
Safeguarding a Diverse and Equal Judiciary
The Judicial Reform Foundation believes that a fair judiciary must maintain high sensitivity toward gender. From gender bias in the courtroom to gender blind spots in legal texts; from the judicial tracking of #MeToo to the identity rights of transgender individuals—we join hands with numerous civil society partners to promote a gender-friendly judicial environment.
Gender-Friendly
Judicial System
Monitoring workplace sexual harassment among judges and prosecutors; implementing CEDAW
Sexual Violence Prevention
and #MeToo
Amendments to laws on stalking, harassment, and sexual assault; protection of victims' rights
Digital Sexual Violence
Prevention
Amendments concerning sexual privacy images; judicial monitoring of the RISU case
LGBTQ+
Rights and Diversity
Marriage equality; gender marker change without surgery; anti-discrimination advocacy
Child and Youth Sexual Assault
Protection
Amendments to extend the statute of limitations; assistance network improvement
Marital Family Systems
and Historical Human Rights
Divorce system reform; historical justice for comfort women
International Review of the Fifth CEDAW National Report (2026)
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) serves as our core basis for promoting gender judicial reform. In July 2026, the concluding observations of the international review of the fifth national report were released. JRF, together with 22 civil society organizations in the fields of women's rights, gender, human rights, disability, and law, held a joint press conference calling to "Deliver CEDAW conclusions, take action for reform, and reform in a timely manner." The JRF Gender Judicial Reform Working Group specifically pointed out the protective loopholes in the "sex- or gender-related" elements of the Stalking and Harassment Prevention Act, and demanded that the Judicial Yuan comprehensively review and deepen judicial personnel training on the application of CEDAW, ensuring that conventions are no longer merely cited as a formality.
Gender-Friendly Judicial System
Key Case: Disciplinary Court Workplace Sexual Harassment (Ms. Y Case)
A Disciplinary Court judge sexually harassed a female subordinate employee, yet the Disciplinary Court did not impose dismissal. JRF submitted an amicus curiae brief and a legal opinion, and issued a statement after the second-instance judgment, demanding the establishment of a gender-friendly judicial workplace.
Sexual Violence Prevention and #MeToo
Digital Sexual Violence Prevention
Key Case: "Four-Law Joint Defense" Civil Society Legislative Amendment Advocacy
The government promoted amendments to four laws: the Criminal Code, the Crime Victim Rights Protection Act, the Sexual Assault Crime Prevention Act, and the Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act for Children and Youths; JRF proposed a civil society draft to patch the loopholes in the Executive Yuan's version, demanding the addition of the "offense of threatening dissemination" and the expansion of the protection order system.
Key Case: RISU Sexual Privacy Image Defamation Lawsuit Case
Exposing that victims in the RISU sexual privacy image groups were counter-sued for defamation, JRF continued to recruit court observers to document how the judiciary handles such cases, calling for attention to the plight of victims facing secondary victimization through lawsuits.
LGBTQ+ Rights and Diversity
Key Case: Kaohsiung Hsiao-Na Gender Marker Change Without Surgery Case (Won)
The Ministry of the Interior required transgender individuals to surgically remove their sex organs before they could change their household registration gender. JRF considered this mandatory surgery requirement to violate bodily autonomy and fail to meet CEDAW standards. We provided court observation, a legal opinion by Professor Chen Yi-chien (Ch'en I-ch'ien), and joined civil groups in demanding an investigation by the Control Yuan. In 2024, the Hsiao-Na case was won, marking an important milestone for transgender rights in Taiwan.
Child and Youth Sexual Assault Protection
Marital Family Systems Reform and Historical Human Rights
Special Project ｜ "PRIMA FACIE" Special Exhibition (2026)
📋 Core Reference Laws and Resources
- Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)—Core international standards for gender judicial reform
- Stalking and Harassment Prevention Act—Enacted in 2022, with ongoing advocacy for legislative improvements
- Crime Victim Rights Protection Act—Legal basis for protection orders for digital sexual violence victims
- Chapter on Offenses Against Sexual Privacy and Non-Consensual Sexual Images of the Criminal Code—Amended and passed in 2023, the fruit of civil society advocacy
- Article 80 of the Criminal Code on the Statute of Limitations—Amended in 2026, changing the calculation for child and youth sexual assault to start from age 20
- Enforcement Act of Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 748—Protecting same-sex marriage, passed in 2019, the first in Asia
Join Us in Promoting a Gender-Friendly Judiciary
Judicial reform requires the participation of every citizen. Welcome to subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on the latest developments, or donate to support our ongoing gender judicial reform advocacy work.
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