On May 24, 2019, the Judicial Yuan Interpretation and Enforcement Law No. 748 was officially enacted. Taiwan became the 27th country in the world and the first in Asia to legalize same-gender marriage. 

After Taiwan’s same-sex marriage law was passed, not every same-sex couple could get married initially. If a Taiwanese citizen wants to marry a foreigner of the same gender, even if Taiwan has approved same-sex marriage, only if the other country also allows same-sex marriage, the two can register their marriage in Taiwan. Until 2023 January 19th except for China, any other country, Hong Kong and Macao residents are allowed to register marriage in Taiwan.

Moreover, In the years before the gay marriage law was passed, the country has also gone through some adjustments in the country. For instance, same-sex couples adopt children law.

For the citizens in Taiwan, a report on the acceptance of homosexuality in 2012 showed that more than 85% of the respondents said it was acceptable to have homosexuals as colleagues or friends. In addition, 46% of the respondents believe that homosexuality is normal, while 43% believe that homosexuality is abnormal. Overall, 68% of the respondents believe that Taiwanese society is discriminatory towards gays; only 20% of the respondents believe that Taiwanese society is friendly to gays. 

More information on protecting the LGBTQ community, constitutions do not allow any kind of differential treatment based on other grounds such as physical and mental disabilities, sexual orientation, etc. It also falls within the scope of the equal rights regulations of this article. Since then, the effectiveness of Taiwan’s anti-discrimination provisions on sexual orientation discrimination at the constitutional level has been established.As we can tell LGBTQ community has been protected under the country law and the society.

source: https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/17/asia/taiwan-same-sex-marriage-intl/index.html

After the post-pandemic struggles in the country, the global unmasking after the pandemic has brought to light the challenges in economic, social, and environmental goals. Looking ahead, the debt accrued during the pandemic is hindering governments’ ability to support societies. We anticipate increased government intervention, with businesses crucial in addressing challenges like climate issues, biodiversity threats, and rising living costs. The performance of investments will be influenced by proactive fund management, adjusting strategies to navigate upcoming challenges and opportunities.

for climate change issue, climate change is an unavoidable problem, impacting global investments extensively. The actual actions taken by businesses to reduce carbon emissions and climate change initiatives are key solutions. While policy support is slowing down, private institutions are stepping up to fill the gap in achieving climate goals. The spotlight is on COP28.

Moreover, natural capital and social pressures form uncertain predictions that make the intention increase. The role of natural capital and threats to biodiversity have become focal points. With global resources limited and ecological threats escalating, investment risks are on the rise. Although the cost of living crisis is expected to ease in 2023, poverty remains a threat. Businesses need to address social pressures, including enhancing employee welfare and taking responsibility for labor within the supply chain. Impact investing and proactive ownership will be crucial strategies to tackle these challenges.

In conclusion, as sustainable regulations expand, the investment industry faces stricter scrutiny. Businesses must become more transparent and clear, as investors increasingly focus on social issues. Impact investing and proactive ownership are essential means of protecting corporate values. The investment industry must adapt to trends, assist clients in understanding investment products, and navigate the growing volume of ESG data for a deeper insight into the impact of social and environmental trends.

U.S. Energy Information Administration – EIA – independent statistics and analysis. International – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). https://www.eia.gov/international/analysis/country/TWN

In Taiwan, there’s a huge gap between the wealthy and the poor when it comes to income inequality. According to the Gini coefficient in 2022 was a whopping 0.34. Which indicates there’s an obvious phenomenon of inequality between rich and poor.

One of the reasons for this is capitalism- previous generations owned land through farming, but as the demand for housing increased, governments had to expropriate it. As the land became more valuable, it became so valuable that a family with just a wage could never have the same wealth as a family with an estate. In other words, some people are just lucky to receive higher education or have real estate in the economic “winner’s circle”. As a result, the gap between the rich and the poor will gradually widen.

With deeper research on economic inequality, Taiwan has a serious issue with how much should be the minimum wage. The minimum payment was too low to keep up with inflation, especially after the world pandemic in 2019. Moreover, approximately 730,000 Taiwanese workers have left overseas in recent years, mostly young people between the ages of 20 and 40. This has long been a national security crisis.

Overall, Taiwan become a multi-divisional-form society. The Taiwanese government needs to work on how to support the younger generation in housing, wages, and the huge gap between different families. The inequality in the economy didn’t simply just affect the country’s GDP and worldwide reputation but it also became a stressful issue for the citizens of Taiwan.

citation:

1. Taiwan National Statistics. (September 28, 2023). Gini’s concentration coefficient in Taiwan from 1980 to 2022 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 26, 2023, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/922574/taiwan-gini-index/
2. Staff writer, with CNA (2021, August 15). Income inequality growing amid pandemic: DGBAS. Taipei Times.https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2021/08/16/2003762658

Recognizing the necessity of providing English proficiency to its population, Taiwan has launched an ambitious plan to begin a new policy called the 2030 Bilingual Policy, starting with child education.

Taiwan’s strive for bilingualism is in the belief that a strong command of the English language is a way to connect and receive opportunities to the world. To achieve this, the government has implemented programs for college and high school students then slowly developed for younger ages. Moreover, many private schools have promoted different education systems such as AP, IBDP, or A-level.

Furthermore, the government is hoping to build and immerse students in an English-rich environment to encourage students to learn English naturally, with specialized English teachers from English-speaking countries.

Yet, the challenges and pressure from the teacher, politics, and parents are unavoidable. The ambitious 12-year timeframe set for achieving the Bilingual Nation goal is an ambitious undertaking, raising concerns about feasibility. Finding teachers with stringent qualifications and a dearth of incentives hindering the recruitment and retention of proficient bilingual educators complex challenge.

The government believes this policy in the understanding that English fluency serves as a gateway to a myriad of global opportunities. Taiwan strives to overcome kinds of problems to thrive in increasingly interconnected world. Taiwan’s journey towards bilingualism, while commendable, requires careful consideration of these challenges to ensure its ultimate success.

Source: 465. (n.d.). Taiwan’s bilingual 2030 plan. International Trade Administration | Trade.gov. https://www.trade.gov/market-intelligence/taiwans-bilingual-2030-plan