Shuwen Liao is the Secretary General of Taiwan Coalition Against Violence (TCAV). She has been working for the prevention and elimination of gender-based violence in Taiwan since 1988, beginning as a volunteer for the first charity group providing services to women and children suffering from sexual assault, domestic violence, and sexual harassment in Taiwan. She started working on legislative reform during the late 1980s, directed toward 1) Increasing conviction rates 2) protecting victims( avoiding secondary victimization) and 3) changing attitudes (redefining rape). In 1995, She served as the first chairperson of the Committee of law assistance for Victims of the Modern Women’s Foundation.
As a feminist activist, Shuwen works not only for trauma healing and recovery of victims, but she is also deeply involved in social policy and legislation to combat all forms of violence and discrimination against women and children. Currently she is working to bring Taiwan’s policies in line with international human right standards (CEDAW) and SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). She hopes to help Taiwan become a place free from fear and full of compassion and wisdom concerning human rights.
As the Secretary-General of TCAV, she is involved with Taiwan’s local gender violence prevention network and its international links with the Asia-Pacific region (organizing the first and second Asia-Pacific Gender Violence Prevention Summit Forum in Taipei, and the third forum with Hongkong University and local Hongkong NGO this year). Because ending gender-based violence is everyone’s responsibility, she works to expand community–based advocacy and service, having organized a young team to Integrating the know-how of TCAV and to work with the grassroots.. She launched empowerment teams in elders’ community centers, in an effort to spark global and local conversations among generations, often using story and theater ( art, music) to change public opinion and catalyze collective action regarding social reform, health care, gender-based violence prevention, and economic justice)
Shuwen received her LL.M degree in Southern Methodist University, Dallas, USA. She is also interested in Tibetan Rimay Buddhism practice, and edited and published the books “The show must go on “ “ Hearing Happy News of the Dharmadhatu” , “ Wisdom Nector of the Guru” and Sadhanas etc. She likes reciting and singing the mantras, and dancing !
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players
William Shakespeare
In three words
I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life –
It goes on.
Robert Frost
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
Helen Keller
“The Heavens are in motion ceaselessly;
The enlight’ned exert themselves constantly.
While the Earth is supportive and natural,
Only the virtuous can bear the utmost.”
