Project Overview
Taiwan’s society has been deeply influenced by traditional gender roles where “men work outside, women work inside.” Combined with perceptions about women’s physical capabilities being unsuitable for heavy work, temple leadership and key positions have predominantly been held by men. In religious ceremonies and activities, men typically serve as primary officiants or leaders, while women work behind the scenes in supporting or logistical roles. Under this male-privileged traditional mindset, ceremonies rarely feature women in primary roles, and it’s even more difficult for women to hold decision-making positions in temples. This creates restrictions on women’s participation in religious activities, leading to gender inequality in religious rituals and organizations. Additionally, menstruation, a normal physiological phenomenon, is traditionally viewed as unclean, resulting in menstrual taboos that further limit women’s participation in religious and daily life activities, such as prohibitions on entering temples or touching ritual implements during menstruation.
The Taoyuan City Government’s Civil Affairs Department aims to transform this situation by promoting women’s leadership and participation in highly visible religious ceremonies and related activities, challenging the stereotype that women can only perform supporting roles. After multiple discussions with temples about women’s empowerment, the department launched the “Reverence and Blessings e-Together: Ritual Ceremony Advancing Gender Equality Project” in 2019. The project collaborates with temples to document ceremonial proceedings through documentaries, which are then shared during training sessions for religious organization leaders and quality religious culture seminars. The goal is to encourage other temples to follow suit in promoting gender equality, creating an excellent social environment for religious gender equality.
Implementation Benefits
(1) Increase in Temples with Three or More Women Leading Taoist Ceremonies
Among Taoyuan City’s 220 registered temples that perform Taoist ceremonies, a sample survey of 82 temples in October 2022 found that 64 temples (78%) had three or more women leading ritual ceremonies. This indicates that the traditional male-dominated concept of religious ceremonies is changing.
(2) Increase in Religious Organizations Achieving Perfect Scores in Gender Equality for Public Service Certification
To encourage religious organizations to involve women in public affairs and ensure their freedom to participate in religious matters, the Taoyuan City Government incorporated indicators for gender equality courses and increased female participation in ceremonies into its biennial public service certification program starting in 2019.
In 2019, out of 12 religious organizations applying for certification, 6 (50%) achieved perfect scores in gender equality. In 2021, 9 out of 16 organizations (56.26%) achieved perfect scores. In 2023, 7 out of 12 organizations (58.33%) achieved perfect scores, showing a steady increase. This demonstrates religious organizations’ growing commitment to implementing gender equality principles.
(3) Number of Female Leaders in Religious Organizations
Among registered religious organizations in Taoyuan City, the number of female leaders decreased slightly from 64 in 2019 to 60 in 2023. However, women’s opportunities to participate in religious affairs have remained stable at a consistent level.