Among the many gaffes Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) has made during this presidential campaign, some of the most shocking have targeted women. Even the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) politicians around him seem to be “catching the Han Kuo-yu virus” and letting slip misogynistic remarks, according to Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Chien Hsu-pei (簡舒培). In 2017, women accounted for 38.1 percent of the Legislative Yuan and 37.5 percent of mayors and county commissioners. It is dangerous to keep viewing these comments as “gaffes” or “quips,” as it softens the intention behind them. The KMT’s current brand of sexism is not just a fluke — it is a sign of the underlying authoritarian attitude that informs Han’s campaign, which should be worrisome to all who value Taiwan’s democracy.
