Childcare, transgender views lag behind broader gender progress: Poll

Taipei, June 27 (CNA) Traditional beliefs about gender roles in the family persist in Taiwan while public support for legal protections for transgender people declined, according to a government survey report released Friday.

The latest report, based on a nationwide poll commissioned by the Executive Yuan's Gender Equality Committee, found that while most Taiwanese reject gender stereotypes in the workplace and the educational arena, some conservative trends still dominate the private sphere.

In particular, approximately 58 percent of Taiwanese polled agreed that "women are more suited than men to care for infants and young children" - a view that has held majority support for the past three years - while only 41 percent disagreed, according to the report.

The report highlighted generational and educational gaps in perceptions of family responsibilities, as those who exhibit higher gender equality awareness tended to be younger, better educated and unmarried.

At the same time, the report also pointed to a more supportive and yet cautious public stance on transgender rights.

While more than 91 percent of respondents said "they can work with transgender people" in the 2025 polls, only 40.6 percent supported allowing transgender individuals to change the gender marker on their identification cards without undergoing gender-affirming surgery.

Meanwhile, 57 percent of respondents expressed opposition to such a measure - a 6.8 percent drop compared to the previous year, the report said, calling for greater involvement of medical and psychological professionals in designing transgender-related policies to enhance public trust and acceptance.

The report also recommended increased education and advocacy efforts, particularly targeting older and less formally educated groups, through community activities, public talks and radio programs to help improve their gender equality awareness.

According to the report, the poll was conducted between April 24 and April 28 with 1,077 respondents aged 20 and over.