With the Gender Equity Education Act in force for over two decades, gender equality has become a key social value and indicator of progress. With the support of Chairperson Flora Chia-I Chang, Tamkang University has long been committed to advancing gender equality education and promoting the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Through institutional development, campus space planning, reading promotion, and cross-sector collaboration, the University has gradually integrated gender mainstreaming into campus culture, making gender awareness a natural part of daily life.
Following the enactment of the Gender Equity Education Act in 2004, the university established a Gender Equity Committee, chaired by the president, in accordance with the law to promote gender equity education and related policies continuously. During her tenure as president, Chairperson Chang, inspired by gender equity pioneer and former professor of chemistry Chia-Li Wu, actively supported the establishment of a Women Faculty and Staff Association. This initiative provided a platform for exchange and support, helped build complaint and reporting mechanisms, improved campus safety systems, increased the proportion of women in leadership positions, and safeguarded the rights of female faculty and staff, laying a strong foundation for gender equality on campus.
In recent years, these efforts have extended beyond campus. Since 2022, Chairperson Chang has collaborated with the Feminist Bookstore and the Awakening Foundation to support the “Campus Good Books Reading Program—Gender-Friendly Dandelion Project,” donating gender-related books to secondary schools and community organizations. Through reading, the initiative aims to raise awareness of gender issues, foster understanding, and reduce bias and discrimination.
On campus, Tamkang University has actively created a safer and more inclusive environment. Measures include the establishment of “safe corridors” based on international safety campus standards, as well as an emergency alert function in the “TKU i-Life” app to ensure 24-hour campus safety. Facilities such as breastfeeding rooms, priority parking for pregnant staff, and priority access to basketball courts for female students have also been introduced. In addition, during the summer of 2025, Tamkang plans to renovate and expand gender-friendly and accessible restrooms in accordance with the Ministry of the Interior’s design guidelines, addressing the needs of diverse users.
In teaching and outreach, Tamkang University offers elective courses on gender-related topics and organizes various awareness activities each year on April 20, Gender Equity Education Day. The Chueh-Sheng Memorial Library also promotes gender awareness through themed book exhibitions and guided picture book readings, helping faculty and students understand how gender shapes personal development through storytelling and reading.
Furthermore, Tamkang University regularly hosts gender equity lectures to enhance awareness and professional knowledge among staff, integrating gender perspectives into institutional operations. Since the second semester of the 2023 academic year, the Tamkang Times has launched the “Gender Perspectives” column, written by Gender Equity Committee members, including Chief Secretary of the Board Wen-Chih Huang and Assistant Professor Li-Hui Peng of the Department of Education and Futures Design, offering diverse viewpoints on gender issues. These sustained efforts have earned the University a top distinction in the Ministry of Education’s 2025 evaluation of gender equity education in higher education institutions.
At its core, gender mainstreaming involves integrating gender equality into all policies and administrative practices. As part of its ongoing commitment, Tamkang University has participated for three consecutive years as a partner institution in the Ministry of Education’s Gender Mainstreaming Resource Center for Universities. By advancing both institutional frameworks and educational initiatives, the university continues to embed gender equality into its operations. Moving forward, it will further deepen these efforts to ensure that all faculty and students can learn and live in an environment characterized by respect, diversity, and equality.
