The Identity of Women and Policy Issues: Female Candidates in Taiwan''s Fourth Parliamentary Election

• Main Authors: Wang Yi-jiun, 王怡君
• Other Authors: Wen-hui Anna Tang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1999
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/26720203643316190258

碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 政治經濟研究所 === 87 === In recent years, the political arena for females in Taiwan has gradually expanded as a result of changes in gender politics. In the expansion process, female participants in politics must encounter two major issues, namely, how to make connections between the roles of gender and politics, and how to implement women''s policies to meet the expectation of the electors from female participation in political elections. The understanding of the two issues determines how we interpret changes in gender politics and female political participation in recent Taiwan. This paper is set to launch an in-depth study of the two issues in terms of gender role identification and policy proposals presented by females during the elections. It is hoped that this paper can contribute itself to studies concerning female political participation in Taiwan. The female candidates for the ROC Fourth Legislative Yuan election in 1998 have been chosen as the subjects. According to this study, electoral districts, political parties, and electors have significant influence on the self-role identification of female candidates. On the factor of electoral districts, the female quota guaranteed system results in a division of female roles. Female candidacy finds no ground in an electoral district without any quota guaranteed for women. As to political parties, the percentage of female candidates nominated is comparatively low, while their likelihood of getting elected is very high. It is particularly noteworthy that a nominated female candidate would not necessarily take the factor of gender into special consideration during her election campaign. However, the electors would expect a female candidate to play the roles of both a lawmaker and a woman. It motivates a female candidate to use gender as a variable in her campaign strategies. In light of the aforementioned results, this paper points out that at present most female candidates feel carefree about their female role. They would internalize their gender role to become female lawmakers who express concerns over specific political and social affairs related to women, children, welfare, and the like, or emphasize their capability to deal with specific issues. Meanwhile, most female candidates have achieved their candidacy mainly due to their incumbent advantage. Those who get elected as the first time candidates are mostly either affiliated to political families or spouses of political figures. The candidates with incumbent advantage would manage to change their traditional image of depending on male political figures by portraying themselves as independent candidates with an emphasis on individual political capability. In addition, female legislators will gather relevant issues concerning women affairs through discussion with the electors or as campaign platforms to distinguish themselves from other candidates during their campaign. Thus, their concern and willingness over the implementation of women policies will be intensified in the lawmaking process. To the end, this paper reveals that four types of female candidates tend to propose women issues. They are classified as follows: 1. those who have no incumbent advantage and wish to highlight a positive female image, 2. those who used to participate in women''s groups or activist of women movement, 3. those who respond to the expectation of the electors and view the issues as ideal slogans, 4. those who include the issues merely as part of their campaign platform. This study indicates that the highlight of female gender role and the proposals of women issues in the election process have considerable influence on the gender role identification of female candidates and the willingness of the elected to implement women policies. Moreover, female candidates have gradually moved away from the traditional channel and category for female politics, reflecting their multiplicity in political participation. The aforementioned further indicate that the female subject experience in political participation has been gradually expanded.