In 2024, the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, under the Ministry of Culture, launched the historical comic book March Forward! Blossoming Justice, which received widespread acclaim. To transform this recognition into concrete action and to continue advancing gender equality in the museum context, the Memorial Hall in 2025—echoing the spirit of The 10th Chung-Shan Youth Art Awards—is collaborating with the National Women’s Hall of Taiwan and the Awakening Foundation. Together, they will organize the program “Open Mic! Their Stories, We Continue to Tell — Film × Comics × Law: Writing the History of Gender Equality through Action” this August. Through three dialogue and exchange forums held at the National Women’s Hall of Taiwan, the public will have the opportunity to learn more about the lesser-known history of gender equality.
The first forum, held on August 20, is titled “Their Brilliant Times: Women in Taiwan’s Comic Industry.” It invites senior editor Chang Hsiao-tung, TAICCA Content Development Division Director Wen Chun-ya, and comic artist Yen Wei-hsuan to share insights. They will discuss women’s roles in the comic industry, looking back to the 1960s and exploring how female comic artists harnessed their creativity and talents to reflect women’s social conditions of the time, sparked bestseller trends, and ultimately helped redefine “Taiwanese comics” in legendary ways.
The second forum, held on August 27, is titled “History Rekindled, Echoes of Justice: Book Talk on the Reprint of Why Couldn’t They Marry?* In 1985, Ms. Yang Li-chun, Section Chief at the Taipei Tenth Credit Cooperative, was forced to resign due to marriage, and her employer further violated agreements by withholding her severance pay. In 1986, lawyer Lu Jung-hai wrote Why Couldn’t They Marry? — A Legal Analysis of the Tenth Credit Cooperative Marriage and Severance Pay Lawsuit, which sparked public attention to women’s labor rights. With the book’s reprint in 2025, the forum invites Ms. Yang, along with women’s rights advocates and lawyers Pan Cheng-fen and Yuan Hsiu-hui, to revisit this history, share personal experiences, and voice their expectations for the present and future of gender equality in Taiwan.
The third forum, held on August 29, is titled *“Unwilling Memories of Silence: The Struggles of Women Workers” — Screening and Exchange on the Documentary Chin-he. The documentary, produced by the Awakening Foundation in 2024, pays tribute to Ms. Tsai Chin-he, a staff member of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall who in 1987 bravely fought for women’s labor rights. Her pursuit of justice became the starting point for the movement to legislate the Gender Equality in Employment Act, marking a milestone in Taiwan’s gender equality history. This session will feature lawyer Yu Mei-nu, Secretary-General Chen Po-chien of the Taiwan Labor History and Culture Association, and Awakening Foundation Chairperson Hung Hui-fen, who will share insights from the women’s and labor movements, reflecting on the hardships and achievements of past struggles, as well as current challenges and future visions for amendments to gender equality laws.
The three forums respond to the 2025 thematic exhibition of the National Women’s Hall of Taiwan, “Action! Taiwan’s Exhibition on Implementing Gender Equality and the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” emphasizing the idea of “Co-Creating the Future.” The program calls on everyone to participate, join hands, break through existing frameworks, and work together to advance gender equality and sustainable development.
“Open Mic! Their Stories, We Continue to Tell — Film × Comics × Law: Writing the History of Gender Equality through Action” is more than just three dialogue sessions; it is a cross-generational and cross-disciplinary public conversation. By connecting life experiences across different eras, it brings gender equality closer to everyday life and nourishes the cultural soil with respect and empathy.
All three forums are free of charge, with a maximum of 40 participants per session. Spaces are limited, and early registration is encouraged.
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Media Contact: Liang Pei-chun, National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
Tel: 02-2758-8008 ext. 505 / Mobile: 0937-076981
Event Coordinator: Hsu Cheng-yu, National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
Tel: 02-2758-8008 ext. 510