Netflix series promotes wave of #MeToo movement in Taiwan against politicians

Five years after the #MeToo movement – ​​which denounces sexual and gender-based violence – took the world by storm, Taiwan, a liberal democracy that prides itself on gender equality, is facing its own reckoning. accounts about sexual harassment; the most recent move was caused by a hit Netflix series.

The “Wave Makers” series follows the fictional lives of a team of campaign workers in the run-up to a presidential election in Taiwan. Although labeled as a political drama, the show’s storyline addresses sexual harassment, which garnered more attention and made more of an impact in real life.

Since late May, the show has spawned more than a dozen real-life #MeToo allegations involving political figures on the autonomous island, which is also gearing up for a presidential election in January 2024.

With tensions between the capitals of Taiwan and China, Taipei and Beijing respectively, reaching their peak in decades, the fallout from the #MeToo revelations risks adding more uncertainty to the all-important presidential race.

The allegations have rocked the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), leading to resignations at its highest levels and public apologies from President Tsai Ing-wen.

“As a former chairman of the party, I must take full responsibility,” Tsai wrote in a Facebook post on June 2, pledging to “reflect on our mistakes.”

The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party was also hit and promised to investigate an allegation of sexual harassment against one of its lawmakers.

Since then, the storm has spread from the center of political power to other parts of society, with a growing list of accusations hitting academic, sporting and cultural circles, as well as the island’s exiled Chinese dissident community.

The turn of events took the creators of “Wave Makers” by surprise. They said they didn’t expect such an impact and now witness “big waves” being created every day.

“Cases have been popping up in all walks of life recently, and you can see why this resonates,” said Chien Li-ying, who co-wrote the script with Nina Peng. “There were so many incidents like this, but they could not be discussed or told.”

Since its launch in late April, the hugely popular program has provided a common language for discussions about sexual harassment, said Wen-Ti Sung, a political analyst based in Taipei.

“It also gave victims who came forward a common reference point around which they could rally support and strengthen solidarity,” he said.

“We will not let it go”

A central rallying point for #MeToo reckoning in Taiwan is a powerful line from one of the best-known scenes from “Wave Makers” involving two of the show’s main characters.

In it, one of the characters, a senior member of the party, promises to seek redress for an incident in which a junior official was groped by a colleague, despite pressure from his superiors to silence.

“Let’s not let this go, okay? We cannot let things happen so easily. Otherwise, we will slowly wither and die,” says the character.

The line was referenced at the top of a Facebook post that started the entire #MeToo storm.

In the post, a former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) employee alleged that her supervisor dismissed her complaints of sexual harassment in the workplace and discouraged her from formally reporting the incident.

His account drew massive online support and a swift apology from William Lai, chairman of the DPP and presidential candidate. The former supervisor, who had become a senior party official, was suspended the next day and later resigned.

The case has encouraged dozens of others to come forward with their own stories, including accusations against Wang Dan, an exiled leader of the 1989 Tiananmen protests. Wang, who was accused by a man of attempted rape, has vehemently denied the allegations.

Kang Ting-yu, an associate professor specializing in gender and media studies at Taiwan’s National Chengchi University, said that after watching the show, many victims of sexual harassment felt they shouldn’t “just let it go”.

In addition to posting on social media, some have filed sexual harassment complaints through official channels, Kang said.

“I know of several cases where they explicitly said they were inspired by the show,” she said.

Chien, the screenwriter, said the line “let’s not just let it go” embodies his aspirations for an ideal society where “victims can be helped, supported and told they don’t have to blame themselves.”

In reality, she said, most victims of sexual harassment have been told to “let it go,” especially in organizations with a strong common purpose. “Victims tend to self-censor because they fear what they say will damage the greater cause,” she said.

This culture of self-sacrifice is deeply rooted in Taiwan’s political reality, where the “big picture” often comes first, Chien said.

“It feels like the issue of sexual harassment and assault has been suppressed the entire time – as if we are swallowing it for a greater political cause and sacrificing ourselves for the good of the bigger picture,” she said.

Following the allegations, some DPP supporters criticized the victims for undermining the party’s presidential election campaign. Others blamed Wang’s accuser for sabotaging the overseas pro-democracy movement against the Chinese Communist Party, noting that the allegations emerged just days before the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

Tsai, President of Taiwan, urged the public not to blame the victims and not to cause secondary harm.

“It’s just the beginning”

As Taiwan’s first female president, Tsai is proud of her government’s efforts to improve gender equality, especially women’s participation in politics.

Women make up 42% of Taiwan’s parliament – ​​well above the average of 21% in Asia and also above 37% in North America, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Taiwan is also at the forefront of LGBT equality in the region. In 2019, it became the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.

But sexual harassment in the workplace is still prevalent, and those who decide to seek justice can face a daunting and grueling process, experts say.

“Even the protagonists of ‘Wave Makers’ may not be able to persevere in our system,” said Kang of National Chengchi University.

A woman who has since come forward to claim she was sexually harassed while working for a local election campaign for the DPP 16 years ago, told the CNN that watching the “Wave Makers” reminded her of the challenges she faced during that time.

The woman, surnamed Liao, said it took police two attempts to file her sexual harassment complaint and a year for a government agency to “mediate” her case to decide that her allegations were substantiated.

She said she was told by the agency that she could take the case to court, but as a recent college graduate, she didn’t have the means to fund a lawsuit. “In the end, I let it go,” she said.

Liao has criticized “Wave Makers” for painting too “rosy” a picture of how sexual harassment complaints are handled in the workplace, but she is happy to see the impact the show has had.

“If Taiwan’s #MeToo wave is five years too late, it would be great if we could seize the opportunity to reform outdated sexual harassment laws,” she said.

Many pundits are now calling for reforms. “Sexual harassment reporting mechanisms within organizations, such as ensuring victims’ anonymity is protected, need to be improved,” Kang said.

More education and awareness campaigns about sexual misconduct, as well as new legislation against online sexual violence, are also essential, said Lu Sheng-yen, assistant professor of gender studies at the National Taiwan Normal University.

As more and more people come forward to report experiences of sexual harassment, the island’s president issued a second apology on Tuesday and promised sweeping reforms.

The government will review and improve existing mechanisms for reporting allegations of sexual harassment and push to change laws on gender equality, Tsai said.

“Our society as a whole must educate itself again,” Tsai said in a Facebook post. “People who have been sexually harassed are victims, not perpetrators. These are people we should protect, not treat with prejudice.”

For the show’s writers, Taiwan’s #MeToo moment hasn’t fully arrived yet.

“I think this is just the beginning, the first step,” Peng said, citing the lack of social consensus on supporting victims of sexual harassment.

Chien said #MeToo recognition should not be limited to progressive circles or organizations. “Only when this happens across society – including in more conservative circles, and people are still willing to speak out – will the true #MeToo moment.”