ABSTRACT
The study of female employees' chances of becoming managers and their experiences once appointed to this grade are an important topic in the study of women in Taiwan at the present time as this region is experiencing rapid change. Particularly important changes are Taiwan's rapid economic development, particularly the increases in foreign investment and the service sector — both largely based on female labour and leading to an increase in women's participation in the labour force, and the increase in women's education levels (Taiwan Women Web, 1998). Also important to consider is the increase — from a low base — of women's legal rights following the approval of the controversial Gender Equality in Employment Law in 2001. The intentions of this new law were to ensure equal opportunities at work, to provide maternity leave and benefits, to create employment opportunities for women, to enhance women's participation in the workplace, to promote harmony between the genders at work, to increase economic growth and social prosperity, and to remove barriers to women's employment. The implementation of the Gender Equality in Employment Law, however, is fraught with difficulties: there is stiff opposition from employers. Several women's organizations, such as the Awakening Foundation, have stressed that, although they have won the battle, they still have a long way to go (China Times, 2002).
