As #MeToo movement sweeps through Taiwan, more women come forward with sexual harassment complaints

“Nobody was around and I wasn’t sure there was a surveillance camera. If I spoke out, nobody would believe me,” the 31-year-old told CNA.

Shocked, she ran away immediately, but decided not to file a complaint and kept silent, fearing it might cost her her job. 

Ms Chang told CNA: “If nobody believed me, they might not want to hire me as an interpreter because they think I would only cause trouble.”

She has tried to avoid the man since the incident, such as not making any eye contact with him.

With the recent #MeToo movement sweeping across Taiwanese society, Ms Chang said attitudes have changed. 

“If you speak up now, more people will believe you. So that encourages more victims to come forward and talk about their experience,” she said.

The movement started in Taiwan in May this year, after a female staffer from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) disclosed on social media how her supervisor rebuffed her sexual harassment complaint.

Her post quickly went viral, forcing the supervisor to resign, and Taiwanese vice-president William Lai to make a public apology subsequently.