呂秀蓮的部落格

Together, we can care for our mother earth for better.

Together, we can write history to include his/her stories into human-story!

IFBPW 27th International Congress

When Women Lead: Green Renovation Will Save the Earth

H.E. Lu Hsiu-lien Annette

President, BPW-Taiwan

Former Vice-President of Taiwan

Helsinki, Finland (June 20, 2011)

It is a great privilege and pleasure for me and 20 sisters from Taiwan to take part in the 27th Congress of the BPW International here in Helsinki. I wish to thank Liz Benham, President of BPW International and Merja Rokio Hlitnnen, President of BPW Helsinki for organizing this great event. In particular, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for President Liz Benham, for her tireless efforts and excellent leadership in the past 3 years. Without it, our BPW wouldn’t be able to grow so vigorously. Let’s give our warmest salute to Liz and those who devote themselves to IFBPW.

I feel privileged to be consecutively invited to deliver the keynote speech both at the 26^th Congress in Mexico and now the 27^th  Congress here in Helsinki. This time, I am most honored to be granted the “Excellent Professional Leadership Award” among outstanding sisters nominated by 22 nations. It reminds me of many challenges I’ve taken and many obstacles I have overcome, and those differences I’ve made throughout my life.

The great theme for this congress was originally entitled “What changes when women lead?” I’d like to start with what I’ve changed for my country- Taiwan.

Taiwan was under martial law for 38 years, whereby people’s freedom and political participation had been severely restricted and their human rights badly suppressed. Socially, it was as conservative and feudalistic as one can imagine. At the age of 27, I began to preach Feminism and later joined the political movement until being jailed on charges of sedition for 6 years.

After my release, I was elected a member of Parliament, then governor of Taoyuan County, and subsequently became the first female Vice President of Taiwan. During my career, I suffered from thyroid carcinoma at the age of thirty, at the age of thirty six I was imprisoned for 6 years and later at the age of sixty, in March 2004, was nearly assassinated with Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian a day before we were re-elected for our second term. For me, life is too often a joke, a cruel joke at that.

Taiwan’s women traditionally suffered from the double burden of Chinese Confucian teachings and Japanese male chauvinism, due to the historical circumstances of Chinese immigration, followed by five decades of Japan’scolonial rule during 1895-1945, and then another fifty years under the rule of the Chinese Nationalist（KMT）regime.

Confucian teachings subjected women to the so-called Three Obediences and Three Bondages. The Three Obediences were to obey her father before marriage, obey her husband during marriage, and obey her sons in widowhood. Three Bondages for women: Bound heads, Bound Waists and Bound Feet to repress  women’s intellectual, sexual and physical freedoms.

Under Japanese male chauvinism, women were taught nothing but to serve and to please men. Women always bent their waists, bowed their heads and submitted to men. It was all because of such a cultural and social context, on two occasions when I was a small child, my parents sought to sell me in the hope that I could have a better life. Thanks to my brother, who took me to hide in my aunt’s house, my parents finally decided to keep me and sent me to school. And I swore to study as hard as my brother to prove that it is nothing wrong with being a girl!

In 1971, when I returned to Taiwan after advanced graduate study in the United States, the whole society was debating on how to prevent young women from attending universities. It was argued that valuable social resources were being wasted on women, since they were expected to abandon their careers and stay at home to take care of the household after getting married.

Under such circumstances, I began to champion feminism, criticizing male chauvinism and proposing new feminist beliefs. I wrote articles, made speeches, organized women and conducted a variety of activities. Eventually I became exhausted and was defeated by cancer.

At the time I initiated the feminist movement, a considerable percentage of Taiwan’s grown-up women did not go to school, and very few women went out of their homes to work. But today, the number of women in Taiwan gaining college degrees or higher has increased more than tenfold, and women now occupied 44 percent of technical positions, and one-third of the ownership of business companies! Business and professional women now hold top positions across a spectrum of professions, including the field of high-technology. Already women are presidents, general managers and CEOs of many well-known companies. Today, Taiwan’s No.1 wealthy person is a young lady, Ms. Cher Wang, the founder of HTC Corp, which ranks No. 7 in the global smart phone industry.

During the eight years while I served as the Vice-President from 2000-2008, women’s roles and positions in the political and government offices experienced an unprecedented surge. Thirty-five women were appointed to hold ministerial or vice ministerial positions, two served as vice premiers, one of them, Dr. Tsai Ing-Wen has become the presidential candidate for 2012.

 In particular, I, myself have initiated a special program in Taiwan: the “Good Housekeeper” project to train single mothers and divorcees, in housekeeping, baby-sitting and nursing services totaled to one hundred twenty thousand women per year, not only to help them to earn a living, but also to help working women to be released from their household tasks and to devote to their careers.

With regard to Parliament, while in the 1970s only 7 percent of elected legislators were women, reached now 33 percent. While in municipal councils, women capture around 35 percent of seats. As more women went to Parliament, they pushed through legislation to protect and enhance women’s rights, including “Gender Equality in Employment Act,” “Gender Equality Education Act,” as well as the “Sexual Assault Prevention Act,” the “Domestic Violence Prevention Act” and the “Sexual Harassment Prevention Act”.

Today, the impressive achievements of Taiwan’s women are widely acclaimed in the international community. When measured by the UNDP’s indicators to compare gender development- access to education and gender empowerment position; in the job market and elections to parliament, Taiwan’s women rank 4^th in the world and 1^stin Asia.

Taiwan’s achievements in terms of empowering women and improving women’s lives are attributed to the fact that, women’s liberation went hand in hand with the political liberation of Taiwan from autocracy to democracy. Throughout my career, I promoted new feminism on the one hand and promoted democracy on the other hand, because I firmly believe that advocacy alone is not enough, and that power is needed to make a difference, and political will, financial resources and action are indispensable to accomplishing desirable objectives.

In 1978, when I was studying at Harvard Law School, I learned that the US would break diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognize People’s Republic of China. I was worried that the U.S. might betray Taiwan. I therefore gave up my postgraduate fellowship at Harvard, and returned to Taiwan to run for the National Assembly, and to warn my constituencies about the incoming crisis of US policy to abandon Taiwan.

Regretfully, right in the middle of the election campaign in December 1978, the United States declared its formal recognition of China and broke off relations with Taiwan. The then autocratic KMT regime used this as an excuse to cancel the on-going election and intensified its suppression over the nation. Frequent confrontation between the political opposition and the authorities occurred across Taiwan, and ended up with the outbreak of the Kaohsiung Incident in a year later.

On December 10^th, 1979, when a large number of people took to the streets of Kaohsiung City, to celebrate the International Human Rights Day at a rally organized by the opposition, police and soldiers were ordered to use tear gas against the crowd, and gangsters were organized to attack the police in a plot to implicate opposition leaders in the casualties caused. I witnessed so much chaos that I was outraged and stood on the top of a truck to deliver a most passionate speech for 20 minutes. Tens of thousands of people in the crowd were moved, some were even moved and cheered, but three days later, I was the first one arrested followed by 151 others. Eight of the opposition leaders including me were given court martial, and I was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Out of everyone’s imagination, 20 years later, in 2000, one of the defense lawyers from the Kaohsiung case, Mr. Chen Shui-bian invited one of the eight “seditious elements,” to be his running mate, and together they overturned 50 years of authoritarian one-party rule to become the first opposition president and vice president. That “seditious element” was me!

But why was I chosen to be the candidate for the vice presidency? It was mainly because of the credentials I earned from my life-long pursuits. In Taiwan, I have stood out as a feminist leader, freedom fighter, and responsible and respectable politician. In particular, my accomplishments as the governor of my home county- Taoyuan proved that I was a capable administrator and leader. On November 21^st of 1997, the magistrate of my home county and eight other local politicians were brutally massacred. My party nominated me to run as his replacement. With the country horrified and in shock, with mafia and local factions holding the public administration hostage, one can imagine how tough and dangerous the job would be. Nevertheless, I accepted the challenge. During my three years as magistrate in Taoyuan County, I cleared the county of the syndicated gangs organized by local politicians, added 35 new schools and built the most advanced incinerator to convert garbage into electric power. I also initiated advanced construction projects and development plans for my county, including 3 high-tech parks and 1 huge power plant. In short, I had overcome all the troublesome problems including crime, corruption and pollutions made by my former male colleague. More importantly, I brought tranquility and confidence back to my home county, demonstrated to people that a woman can serve the public better than a man.

   The electoral victory in 2000 marked Taiwan’s milestone of democratic change in ending over 50 years’ KMT autocracy regime. It also marked a new era of bi-gender politics, as government was no longer monopolized by men.

For me as the female Vice-President, life and work were most difficult, as Taiwan society experienced culture shock. Our people used to seeing the first lady standing next to the President, so some people quipped that I should behave like the President’s “political wife.” So whenever I said something critical or sensitive, the media and my detractors felt uncomfortable and tried to silence me, and belittle me, because they wrongly believe that the Vice-President, can be seen but not heard. Their anachronistic stance made the first two years of my Vice-Presidency incredibly miserable.

Beyond the Taiwan Strait, the propaganda machine of the People’s Republic of China also directed its attacks against me, calling me the “scum of the nation” and “insane.”China tried to annex Taiwan and make Taiwan part of China. And I speak now, as then, against Beijing’s hegemonic ambition, because people in Taiwan highly value our independence, freedom and democratic way of life.

Despite China’s verbal assaults and the attempts by some of my fellow countrymen to put me down, I persisted in doing what I thought to be right, and persisted in saying what I believed to be necessary. I thank President Chen for his trust and confidence in me, as he delegated me to establish and to chair both the Presidential Council on Human Rights and the Presidential Council on High Technology. Through these two offices, I was able to recruit experts and talents from the society to help protect and enhance human rights and to review policies for the development of science and technology. Eventually, people in Taiwan got to know me as a politician who is honest, clean and outspoken but accessible, and a leader who is full of ideas and able to command.

Let us look over the entire human civilization. It has been noted that 99.9 percent of all wars were initiated by men, yet 80 percent of victims of war are women and their beloved husbands and children. Why so? Why won’t men allow us women to decide whether there is a need for war? Why don’t we women seek positions of power to maintain peace and prevent war from happening?

We have all seen movies and television series in which men are depicted as heroes, fighting each other for whatsoever reason, often with brutality, bloodshed and large number of casualties. Are they truly brave? I believe that military action or violence without wisdom and mercy is stupid and cowardly. Why do we women always keep silent about what we feel and believe, good or bad, right or wrong?

We should not forget that we women are the descendents of Eve and that we constitute half of the world population. Without Eve, there would not have been people; without women there wouldn’t be babies. Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong did many wrong and terrible things, but he was right to say “Women lift up half the sky,” Regretfully he didn’t really mean it; because women in China remain to be liberated after the founding of People’s Republic six decades ago.

Indeed, while women do constitute half the world’s population, and women should lift up half the sky, the point is, are we ready to lift it up? Are we ready to shoulder half the responsibility?

Women did not reach to the pinnacle position until the 1950’s when Mongolia elected its first female president. There were 30 women presidents in the 1990’s. In 2005 in particular, Liberia in Africa, Chile in South America and Germany in Europe, women were elected to lead their nations. Since then, female presidents have been elected to govern in Costa Rica, India, Argentina, Indonesia, Philippines and Brazil.

Particularly worth noting is that the most powerful person of 2007 was not a man but a woman, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who happened to preside over both the European Council and G8 group in that year. It is clear that women really can lead the world, not just a nation or a family. In fact, long before Merkel, Madam Margaret Thatcher, former British Prime Minister already enjoyed the reputation of her international leadership. They are all inspirations for us women. They lead and change the world for the betterment of people in the world.

Regretfully, throughout human history, problems after problems threaten the survival of the universe and living beings, no matter ecological or economic, political or social. In recent years the global economy has been hit by financial tsunamis. Worse than that, the frequent occurrences of natural disasters and catastrophes, including earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, droughts, typhoons, tornadoes, landslides and pervasive eruption of volcanoes are the most crucial crises on earth. Scientists believe that these natural disasters are caused by the damage in Earth ozone layer, solar storms, change in the geomagnetic field, desertification and climate change.

The United Nations’ IPCC reports that, in the year 2008 there were 321 natural catastrophes which have caused two hundred thirty-five thousand deaths and affected 211.6 million people. The worst was in Asia, with a severe damage of 181 billion U.S. dollars loss. The United Nations therefore calls for global urgent action that unless appropriate actions are taken to help stop global climate from warming before the year 2012, the earth will be irreparably damaged.

How much time do we have before we mankind are extinguished? What shall we do to rescue our mother earth?

According to the scientists, carbon dioxide is not the only factor contributing to global warming. A more serious but often underestimated factor that led to the accelerating global warming phenomenon is methane gas. Methane is not only a main composition of natural gas; it is also a kind of greenhouse gas which global warming potential is 72 times higher than carbon dioxide. And the main cause of methane is from the wastes produced by livestock breeding industry. Methane occupies 51% of total greenhouse gas on earth, of which livestock’s wastes occupy 18%. Because of the fast-increasing quantity of methane on earth, it will eventually lead to drastic change in our environment that will cause 2 billion people to become short on water and make 20 million climate refugees.

It takes one third of the land on earth to raise cattle and livestock. It also consumes and pollutes water and soil. Without breeding livestock, rain forests can be preserved and land can be better utilized to grow food for mankind. Then 2 billion people can be free from starvation and most importantly, the global warming crisis can effectively be stopped from accelerating!

It is therefore rational and absolutely necessary to urge people to stop eating meat, at least to eat as little meat as possible. The more meat people eat, the more livestock will be bred. To stop eating meat means to stop wasting land and water and food, and of course, to rescue our mother earth.  

As a matter of fact, dietetics teaches us that vegetarian food is no less safe, healthy and nutritious. Religious belief also preaches us that no one is entitled to deprive other’s life, including animals, which shall be treated as friends rather than as enemies. And human beings do not kill their friend!

Who cooks meals? Some men do, but nearly all women do the cooking. If women decide not to cook meat, then men will stop eating meat and less livestock will be bred and our mother earth will be recovered.

We women are the best housekeepers for the house, and also for the earth. It is time for us women, as the nurturers of life and as half of the population on earth, to launch a green renovation for green civilization! The concept of green civilization stresses the following four interests of balance:

1.      The value of life.

2.      The standard of livelihood.

3.      The quality of environment.

4.      The benefit of industrial investment.

There is no justification to pursue industrial benefit at the high price of people’s lives or living standard or the environment. Without life, nothing is left; and without earth, there can exist no life. I call this philosophy: The co-prosperity of 4 balanced interests.

For years, I’ve been advocating this philosophy of co-prosperity. Shortly, after the earthquake and nuclear catastrophe on Fukushima, Japan in March, I began to contemplate for the implication of God’s act and to reconsider whether I should continue to campaign the primary election within my party for the 2012 presidency. Without much hesitation, I decided to devote myself to launch another campaign: “Save the Earth, Care for Taiwan”.

Taiwan is a mountainous country, 70 percent covered by mountains, and located in zones where typhoons and earthquakes frequently occur. In the past half a century, in our pursuit for development, tourism, and good living, we have constructed housing, hotels in the hillsides, opened highways and roads, extracted underground water and cut trees to the point of deforestation. In a sense, we have over-built and over-developed, and landslides and mudslides will be more frequent and extreme, natural and human-caused disasters more prevalent.

Moreover, we have three aging nuclear power plants plus the fourth one under construction. Taiwan is so tiny an island yet is the second most densely populated population on earth. “Nuclear-Free Homeland” is the only choice for her sustainable development. Article 23 of our country’s Basic Environment Act provides that “the Government shall establish plans to gradually achieve the goal of becoming a nuclear-free country.” A nuclear-free homeland requires a set of energy saving and carbon reduction strategies, and greater efforts to increase the proportion of wind, water and solar-generated energy sources. Whereas such issues are economically related and easily addressed through quantitative analysis, the crucial issues of nuclear power pertain to safety risks and costs of human life and, as such, are immeasurable.

I have thus launched a nation-wide movement together with experts and scholars. We are calling upon 100,000concerned citizens from all walks of life, women, youth, media, environmentalists, business and industrial enterprises, academia, artists and writers, aboriginals, religious groups and others, to join and organize the "homeland protect corps" in a massive crusade. We propagate and publicize some simple messages as “respect nature”,“plant trees”, “use less electricity”, and “eat less meat” to combat global warming and help save the earth.

When I return home from this Congress, I am going to start “summer camps for Green Life”, so that more people can be trained to be earth protectors. I am also thinking about organizing the vegetarian restaurants into alliance, to promote healthy diet and selling healthy diet lunch boxes. Besides, I’ll recruit good cooks to teach recipes of good diet meals

To face the unprecedented, multiple challenges coming our way, we women have to learn and apply the wisdom of “soft power”, which I have been promoting in recent years. Taiwan has learned to project soft power, namely, democracy, human rights, love, peace and technological innovation, and these values help and facilitate Taiwan’s transformation from a small, poor country under an authoritarian regime into a highly developed country with most advanced high-technology and democracy through a peaceful process.

Contrary to the destructive and exploitative nature of “hard power”, soft power is constructive and generous in nature. It attracts and draws others into partnership and cooperative relations. The struggle for hard power is often a zero-or even negative-sum game (as in the case of wars), while the developmental and sharing nature of soft power is always a positive-sum game. Hard power should no longer be the sole measurement of a country’s success, and soft power will play more important role in the future of our world.

Can soft power help strengthen women? Of course, women are the best players of soft power. But to be empowered to play, women must first enrich themselves with their own soft power of mercy, beauty, wisdom and courage.

In my feminist beliefs, I stress “three  selfs” for women. These are self- independence, self-confidence and self-contentment. What I mean by this is that to be feminists, we have to be independent physically, intellectually and financially. We have to build up confidence in whatever we think and whatever we do, instead of merely following others. And once we have made up our minds, we must go ahead and do it and enjoy. In other words, we should find self contentment, we should feel that we are the master of ourselves!

On this path to master our life, we need vision and wisdom, determination and devotion. The path is long and filled with obstacles, we walk with sweat and tears, with persistence and benevolence. We do not rely on others, we rely on ourselves. We make ourselves the masters and leading actors of our own destinies, and thus, we change the world in another way, with soft power and feminist wisdom.

Conclusion:

BPW sisters from all around the world, we are descendants of Eve, we should be proud of her wisdom and courage to give birth to lives in Eden. Our mother earth is in danger now, can we ignore the crisis? Can we stay indifferent?

Dear sisters of BPW, the most capable or wonderful women on earth, let’s begin to launch a green renovation! Let’s create a green civilization!

Together, we can care for our mother earth for better.

Together, we can write history to include his/her stories into human-story!

     Thank you.