The Gender Equality Education Committee held a Gender Mainstreaming Seminar titled “Seeing Gender Blindness” on April 24 in the Main Engineering Building. Associate Professor Yi-Chun Lin from the Center for Teacher Education was invited to lead the session, inviting participants to understand gender blindness and enhance their gender awareness. Nearly 40 faculty and staff attended the event, including Vice President for Administrative Affairs Chun-Hung Lin.
Dr. Yi-Chun Lin began by illustrating practical examples derived from the term "gender-blind," highlighting how the lack of gender awareness and sensitivity has led to pervasive gender biases and stereotypes in society. She pointed out that with the progress of time and the enactment of laws, gender issues have gradually gained attention. Establishing a societal foundation based on "gender perspectives" and "gender care" and enhancing gender equality requires collaborative efforts from everyone to realize gender equity.
Then, Dr. Lin combined practical experience with theory. She first explained the formation of children's gender roles by integrating Freud's stages of psychosexual development, followed by the explanation of gender role learning through social learning theory, which is shaped by social constraints. Subsequently, she utilized Kohlberg's cognitive development theory to explore children's awareness and cognitive abilities regarding self-gender classification. Additionally, she applied gender schema theory to emphasize that children growing up in a culture with gender stereotypes will influence their learning. It is hoped that shaping these foundational concepts will contribute to breaking down the pervasive gender discrimination and myths in society.
As a member of the Gender Equality Committee and Associate Professor in the Department of International Tourism Management, Dr. Pin-Ju Juan strongly resonated with the participants' suggestions regarding student dormitory planning during the interactive Q&A session. She believed it to be a diverse and worthy consideration, although it may also pose managerial challenges. Addressing these challenges would require initiatives in education, legal systems, regular training sessions, and increased communication with students. Wei-Ling Wu, an assistant in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, expressed her hope for more participation in gender equality issues. She stated, "The speaker encouraged participants to think about the daily behavior patterns of women and men, which sparked lively discussions. I found it very interesting."
