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CHAIRPERSON

Dr Benny Tong, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore

ABSTRACT

The Taiwanese government has launched many measures to achieve gender equality in the public-sector labour market and is widely regarded as a women and family friendly employer in Taiwan. Nonetheless, occupational gender segregation still exists in the Taiwanese public sector, and women are still underrepresented at senior levels. I interviewed 93 civil servants working in three regional governments to scrutinise how the career trajectories of male and female civil servants differ because of gendered work—life arrangements and how local contexts affect these arrangements. The regions where these interviewees were based represent three local settings: Taipei City (Taiwan’s financial centre), Kaohsiung City (industrial centre), Changhua County (rural area). I further look at how extended family members influence household gender dynamics. I have found that the career plans of married civil servants, especially those with children, are highly determined by the interplay of gender dynamics at home and at work. Mothers tend to have the most limited career choices. However, for these mothers, heavy workloads are not necessarily the major obstacle to career advancement. Different family structures and local work cultures constitute diverse local settings that condition their career development. In general, women who live close to or with their husbands’ extended families tend to prioritise their family commitments, although their extended family members provide them with resources and support, such as childcare. This research suggests that the interlocking relationship between home and workplace gender relations and the influence of locality on these relations should be carefully considered during policy making and implementation.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Chung Wei-Yun is a postdoctoral fellow at Asia Research Institute (ARI), National University of Singapore. Her research interests include gender relations at work and at home, work-life balance, and family policies in East Asia. Before coming to ARI, she obtained a PhD degree at the University of Cambridge. Her PhD thesis looks at the gendered career trajectories and work-life arrangements of the civil servants in Taiwan.

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