wfn.org | Taiwan's Girls Need Bodily Sovereignty

[Taiwan Church News <pctpress@ms1.hinet.net>]

Titles: Taiwan's Girls Must Have Sovereignty Over Their Own
Bodies
Taiwan Church News 2640, October 6, 2002
Reported by Lin Yi-ying. Translated and rewritten by David
Alexander

   Ms. Chi Huei-rong, the operations manager of the Garden of
Hope Foundation, (a Christian NGO that advocates for the rights
of Taiwan's women) forcefully stood up at a recent seminar on the
sex trade to denounced the occupation of "Betel Nut Beauty" as
the first step towards prostitution.  "Their work locations are
like showcases of sex business. They are a feature item in the
mass media, and are shown in a positive light. But these girls
use the exposure of large amounts of skin to attract customers,
the more exposure the better the sales. The outcome is that they
lose sovereignty over their own bodies.  They must depend on
their bodies to appease the lust of Taiwan's men."
   She continued, "Taiwan's sex trade is ubiquitous. Those who
enable young girls to fall into the inescapable trap of
prostitution include brothel customers, police, parents,
government representatives and the mass media.	Society at large,
however, does not blame these people.  All opprobrium is heaped
upon the young girls who actually labor in the sex trade."  Ms.
Chi referred to a story in the Gospel of John about a woman
caught in the act of committing adultery.  She compared the young
women of Taiwan who have been induced into giving up the right to
their own bodies to this woman, and those who accuse them of
wrongdoing to the people who wished to stone the woman in the
bible story.  "I stand with Jesus," she said, "and call on those
without sin to cast the first stone."
   Her critique of the sex trade in general continued, "A girl's
adolescence is the time to gather up power for life. A pure body
is something for everyone to respect and admire.  But Taiwan's
adult society can be compared to a world of 'chaos' for girls.
There is a rough push to become 'money trees' in bars, Karaoke
parlors, betel nut stands and 'spicy girl tea rooms', all of
which use erotic appeals to bring in customers.  Girls are step
by step entrapped in the sex trade. When they begin to use
impurity and evil, they become like ruined baby dolls that are
discarded."
   With anger she pointed out, "Since the development of the
internet Taiwan's traditional sex trade has been influenced by
models from Japan, including the euphemism 'assisted exchange.'
Brothel customers are drawn into 'houses of benevolence,' where
the services offered by prostitutes are called 'purification
rites'.  The sex trade has shamelessly used grand phrases to
offer girls room, board, income and independence. Even a
university professor has gone on record on the world wide web
advocating prostitution as a route to a girl's financial
independence!"
   Ms. Chi says that a girl cannot gain financial independence by
means of prostitution, because the pimps and brothel owners take
70% of her hire.  The 30% that remains to her is merely slave
wages.	Betel nut beauties may expose lots of skin by the
roadside to sell more of their wares, but the profit goes to the
stand owners.  The girls lose sovereignty over their own bodies
in the process of serving the lustful patriarchy of Taiwan's
society.
   She called for the wider ecclesiastical world of Taiwan to
engage in empowerment of Taiwan's girls.  The Garden of Hope
Foundation is setting up "The Olive Stone Center" to offer
psychological guidance and occupational training to young women
in the areas of cookery, arts, crafts, and jewelry design. The
foundation feels that strengthening and empowering girls and
raising the consciousness of Taiwan's citizenry will eventually
overturn the idea that a young woman is only good as a decoration
for commerce or the sex trade employee.  Girls will be able to
grow into respected women with financial power of their own.

For more information:  Garden of Hope Foundation: www.goh.org.tw

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