Women Migrants in Taiwan – Sisters of the Unheard

For the second entry in our Women’s Month article series, “Beyond Land and Seas: How women migrants in Asia Pacific build solidarity and resist oppression”, we talked to Manchi Hong of the TransAsia Sisters Association Taiwan (TASAT) to share with us about the different difficulties faced by marriage migrants in Taiwan as well as the ways how they deal with various challenges. Manchi also shared a heartwarming sentiment to us, expressing her vision of a future where migrant women do not have to face vulnerabilities anymore.

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In recent years, Taiwan has become one of many Asian destinations for migrant women to study, work or to settle with their Taiwanese partners. However, as with all women who migrate overseas, being socially and economically disadvantaged is always a chain they must drag with them.

Manchi Hong is a Vietnamese marriage migrant residing in Taipei, Taiwan. She is a member of the TransAsia Sisters Association Taiwan (TASAT), a nurturing and advocacy organisation for immigrant women in Taiwan. Manchi shared with APMM the current situation and realities of the migrant women who come through their organisation.

A Triangle of Sadness

Manchi pointed out three major issues faced by migrant women in Taiwan – bureaucracy, salary, and family.

Bureaucracy issues are faced in the form of identification cards and application processes. Applying for a long-term permit in Taiwan is very difficult. The entire process is only in Chinese and it must be registered online. After applying, a government personnel will be sent to their residence to check if they meet the requirements. Many migrant women cannot apply due to lack of language skills, time constraints or health conditions.

Migrant women are also required to possess an ID card if they want to gain access to social services and benefits such as childcare and rent assistance. The application process for this ID card is also lengthy and unfriendly to foreigners𑁋as again, the entire process is only in Chinese.

However, it is good to note that there have been developments introduced by Taiwanese authorities to revise and translate immigration policies and paperworks to multiple languages, and to allow relatives of long-term migrants to settle there as well. 

Salary issues come in the form of discriminatory treatment and inaccessibility of work. Jobs for migrant women only exist in low-salary occupations, and employers will exploit the migrants’ language barrier to pay them lower salaries than locals. Employers also avoid paying health insurance and other benefits for migrant workers who are not aware of their rights or are unable to ask.

Taiwan has recently introduced classes to upskill migrants for employment; however, gaining high-level employment such as office work is still extremely difficult. Many women work very hard to learn Chinese and go to college to get qualifications; but due to age and ethnic discrimination favouring younger local peoples, they get stuck in low-salary jobs.

Family issues are common among marriage migrants and their children; particularly divorced single mothers and women whose partners are much older than them. It is common for marriage migrant women to take care of their husbands’ parents and children. If the woman is married to a much older man, she also has to take care of him as many are experiencing chronic diseases and mental health issues. The double burden of seeking employment along with domestic duties seriously puts a strain on migrant women in Taiwan. 

Sorority Sisters are with Migrant Women

Through TASAT, marriage migrants are able to take relevant classes aiming to provide lessons on self-development as well as access subsidies. The organisation is also working on developing an online unified platform for cases where long-distance communication and meetings are required between migrants, employment agencies, and authorities. 

According to Manchi, the efforts of TASAT sisters have also resulted in the creation of a podcast – with two seasons and 26 episodes already aired. The podcast was started during the COVID-19 pandemic, when movement was restricted and migrants could not be physically reached. The sisters hoped that information on policies and laws, as well as current issues, would be heard by both Taiwanese and migrant women to better understand the conditions, situations and cultures of migrants.

The podcast has received positive feedback over the years, with many migrant women coming forward and contacting the Sorority to share their situation and issues. TASAT itself gained strength and unity from launching this podcast. Members are more active in coming together to discuss Taiwan’s current situation and issues as part of their content creation, and have also established avenues to develop skills in editing and production throughout this project.

A dream for the future – no more vulnerability

When asked about her dream for the future of migrant women, Manchi expressed her aspiration to experience a world where women are not forced into vulnerable situations. She hopes that women in disadvantaged sectors of society can become more courageous, love themselves, and stand up for their own rights and interests. 

This Women’s Month, Manchi also mentioned how women should be able to learn more about themselves and their situation, and that knowledge will give them the courage to speak out. And fortunately, through organisations like TASAT, this dream future is set to be actualised thanks to all the work done by migrant women and the solidarity-building that they continue to forge amidst adversities.

#Women #IWWD2024 #WomenMonth