May 2000

Annette Lu-feminist vice-president of Taiwan

Annette Lu, the newly elected vice-president in Taiwan, is the pioneer of Taiwan's women's liberation movement. She initiated the movement during the 1970s. Lu studied law at National Taiwan University, graduating in first place. She then went to the United States to pursue further study. During her two-year study at University of Illinois, she had an opportunity to learn about the American women's liberation movement.

Her experience in the United States along with her past experience in struggling to develop her self-esteem in the context of the social bondage of being a traditional woman motivated her to speak out. Her first article "The Traditional Sex Roles" appeared in 1971, in which she challenged patriarchal society by criticizing the stereotyped roles of the sexes.

She wrote NEW FEMINISM in 1974, which theorized her concepts of feminism. In this book, she defined feminism as three-fold. First, it is an idea that emerged from the demands of society along with the tide of history. Second, it is a belief that the prosperity and harmony of society shall be founded on the basis of substantial equality between men and women. Third, it is a power that will abolish the traditional prejudice against women, reconstruct a new and sensible value system, create independence and dignity for women, and foster the realization of the true equality of sexes. It is a comprehensive book with philosophy and strategy on which the activists are based.

In addition, Lu made efforts to raise women's consciousness through speeches, debates and writings. She also ran a coffee shop to provide a space for women and set up Pioneers Press to publish feminist books. Further, she helped victims of rape and domestic violence by setting up Protect You Hotline.

The women's liberation movement in Taiwan was under difficult circumstances in the 1970s. Politically, it faced a martial law regime of authoritarian autocracy; culturally, it faced a patriarchal society full of Confucian and Japanese chauvinism. What Lu had done agitated the dictatorial Nationalist Party (KMT), which not only endangered its regime, but also opposed its women's policy, which had kept women's associations closely tied to the ruling party.

Severe attacks came from both the male chauvinists and the KMT; especially the latter continued harassing her. Worse, the KMT put her in jail by accusing her of making a 20-minute speech on International Human Rights Day in Kaohsiung City. She was court-martialed and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment. The significant contribution she made for Taiwan's women's liberation movement sowed the seeds of feminism in Taiwan.

The movement did not stop during her imprisonment. Awakening, the first women's liberation organization, was founded by her followers in 1982. Until now, Awakening played a very important role in Taiwan's women's liberation movement.

Influenced by western thought, Lu consciously adjusted feminist concepts to become localized right at the beginning. In her NEW FEMINISM, she emphasizes that woman is a human being. Woman is the subject, who is independent and creative. She is not just a follower, but also a leader; not only the product of history, but also the creator of history. She is not living under the shadow of his-story, but is one of those who creates history, our-story. For Lu, women are Reason as well as Force in the creation of a new society with an equal value system. She herself never stopped working for women's liberation. She strongly encourages women to participate in politics actively. As soon as she was set free from prison, she ran for legislator, then county governor, and ended up becoming the vice-president.

-Shu