Part 2. National Defense Policy

Promoting gender equality has now become a universally shared value. In response to national policies, the MND has established a gender equality task force, which hosts a regular case study meeting every 4 months. The MND is also committed to upholding the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), promoting the concept of gender mainstreaming, and realizing gender equality policy and guidelines so as to achieve gender equality in both substantive and legal fashion.

I. Comprehensively Promote Gender Equality Policy Guidelines and Implement Works on Gender Mainstreaming

In recent years, the ROC Armed Forces have increased the number of female personnel, and nurtured them to fill in some important positions. As of August 2015, the percentage of female military personnel reached 10.16% (approximately 17,000 individuals), and among them we have promoted the first female general officer leading an offshore island unit. The MND has been pouring relevant funds to improve living amenities for female military personnel. We have designed customized uniforms for pregnant personnel, and provided gender friendly facilities and measures, such as lactation rooms. Through reports on Youth Daily News, educational series on Chu-Kuang Garden TV programs, military justice legal affairs training tours, conferences on gender issues, pre-marriage seminars and other relevant activities, we may thus establish correct understanding and perspectives of gender equality amongst our service members.

II. Carry out Enforcement Act of CEDAW and Realize Protection to Human Rights of Different Genders

In concert with the government's promotion of CEDAW, the MND has reviewed 637 laws, regulations, orders, and administrative measures since 2013, and those failed to comply with CEDAW, such as some articles in the Act of Military Service System, have been revised and submitted to the Legislative Yuan for approval in 2014. So far, we have revised statutory regulations, such as the Enforcement Act of Act of Military Service System, Reservists Recall Regulations, Military Academy Cadet Graduation Regulations, Academic Regulations for Cadets in Military Educational Institutions, Enrollment Regulations for Cadets and Graduate Students in Military Educational Institutions, Admission Regulations for Junior High and Senior High School Students to ROC Armed Forces Preparatory Schools, Guidelines Governing Civil Services promoted by the ROC Armed Forces, and Regulations Governing the Issuance of Retirement and Separation Allowances and other Cash Allowances and Compensations for Discharged Officers and NCOs. The MND has been doing its utmost to remove sexist and discriminatory terms and wording, reserve the rights for pregnant students to receive education in military educational institutions, and adjust terms and conditions of deferring recalls for on-call reservists (for instance, those applicable only to male siblings who are breadwinners have now been changed to any siblings), so as to promote gender equality and realize protection to human rights of different genders.