Taiwan issues flight attendant uniform guidelines to promote gender equality

Taipei, April 26 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Labor has issued new guidelines requiring airlines to offer trousers as a uniform option for female flight attendants, reinforcing efforts to eliminate gender discrimination in workplace dress codes.

The move follows a 2023 report from Taiwan's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which found that requiring female cabin crew to wear skirts, heels and makeup violated the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

At the time, the commission urged airlines to adopt gender-neutral uniform policies and make trousers available for female flight attendants as a standard option.

In response, the Ministry of Labor published the guidelines which also recommend airlines consult with unions or hold labor-management discussions when drafting or revising uniform policies.

According to Huang Wei-chen (黃維琛), director of the MOL's Department of Labor Standards and Equal Employment, the new rules require airlines to offer comfortable, practical and suitable uniform options for all working hours.

Employers are also prohibited from imposing additional requirements such as makeup or high heels on one gender but not the other, he said, adding that airlines cannot ask job applicants to select their uniforms in advance during the hiring process.

If airlines enforce discriminatory dress codes, they could face penalties under Taiwan's Gender Equality in Employment Act, depending on the severity of the violation.

Following the NHRC report and increasing public pressure, major airlines such as China Airlines (CAL), EVA Airways (EVA) and Starlux Airlines have gradually introduced trousers as an optional uniform for female flight attendants.

CAL announced that, starting this year, female staff are free to choose between skirts and trousers during work hours based on personal preference or work needs.

Starlux Airlines said it added trousers as an option in 2023, allowing cabin crew to select the style that best meets their comfort and personal preferences.

Similarly, EVA and its subsidiary UNI Air said they recently made trousers available for female flight attendants, following global industry trends.

Before these reforms, Tigerair Taiwan was the only Taiwanese airline to provide trousers as a standard uniform choice for female flight attendants.