Taiwan ‘admires the courage and resilience’ of Women’s Day

When we were celebrating Women’s Day yesterday, we should never forget the history of this day.

On this same day in 1956, Amina Cachalia, Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph and Ray Simons led a protest fighting for human rights, for women’s equality and dignity. We admire their courage and resilience for the causes to that they had dedicated their lives.

Just one week before Women’s Day this year, the speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, the first woman speaker in US history, led a US Congressional delegation to visit Taiwan. President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, the first woman president in Taiwan and the first female head of state in Mandarin-speaking countries, received Speaker Pelosi’s delegation.

They exchanged their views on issues of freedom, democracy and human rights. The meeting between the two outstanding female leaders, however, was not well received by the People’s Republic of China, as it unilaterally claimed that the visit and meeting were in violation of China’s policy.

ALSO READ: China conducts military drills throughout Taiwan

China has conducted a series of live-fire drills in the air and sea space surrounding the Taiwan Strait following Pelosi’s departure from Taiwan.

Multiple batches of aircraft have crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and several missiles were launched by the PRC into the areas surrounding Taiwan’s territorial water, intruding into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone, causing many civilian flights into and out of the island to be cancelled or diverted.

The Taiwanese government will never provoke tensions in the Taiwan Strait, neither will it back down from China’s military pressure. As the 21st-largest economy n the world, it shares the values of democracy, freedom, and human rights with South Africa and many like-minded countries.

The people in Taiwan have been making efforts in maintaining their way of life, a life with guaranteed freedoms and human rights, under a democratically elected government. It is the same aspiration that Madiba fought for throughout his life.

And, definitely, it is also the same aspiration that the 20 000 South African women wanted to achieve when they decided to march to the Union Buildings on 9 August, 1956. Chung-Yi Ho is Representative, Taipei Liaison Office, in SA.