During spring recess this year, the women's caucus in the Legislative Yuan visited the United States to meet with women members of Congress and agency heads, hoping to advance relations between the two countries' legislatures and increase their own effectiveness as legislators.

The all-women coalition, a first for the R.O.C., drew voices of admiration and esteem everywhere they went--so it turns out there's a group of such young (their average age is 42), progressive and well-educated women legislators in the R.O.C., people said.

"We went there with the attitude of learners, but we came back full of confidence," says caucus member Chou Chuan, explaining that women seem something of an "endangered species" in Congress: they hold just two percent of the seats in the Senate and seven percent in the House of Representatives. The figure for the Legislative Yuan is 14 percent.

Shen Chih-hui, another member of the coalition, says this shows that voters in the R.O.C. are "in no way inferior to those in the U.S." in terms of their respect for women and their confidence in the ability of women to govern.

When the women's caucus was formed a year and a half ago, it attracted special attention because it was the first coalition of its kind in the history of the Legislative Yuan. All first-term KMT legislators, the eight members of the caucus, in order of age, are Ko Yu-chin, Hung Tung-kui, Hung Hsiu-kui, Chu Feng-chih, Hsiao Chin-lan, Wang Su-yun, Chou Chuan and Shen Chih-hui.

Hung Tung-kui says that when they received "pre-legislative training" together at the Revolutionary Pragmatism Research Institute on Yangmingshan, they felt they were full of enthusiasm but also new recruits who had to "learn a lot of things in a short period of time," so they decided to form a coalition to combine forces, exchange knowledge and experience and raise their effectiveness as legislators.

Women won 14 of the 101 seats in the Legislative Yuan that were up for election this session, but the other five (one of them has since joined the cabinet) were not included in the caucus because they belonged to a different party or weren't first-term legislators.

The caucus has elected a chairperson to handle routine affairs and serve as spokesperson, and it meets regularly for luncheon every other week.

Ko Yu-chin, the current chairperson, points out that a common feature of caucus members is not only their all being first-term women KMT legislators but also their fresh, clean image. "We were all elected cleanly, without vote buying, and for seats not guaranteed for women," she says proudly, adding that they hope to use their fresh, clean image to make the caucus different in nature from those of others in the legislature, to use their femininity to "overcome hardness through softness" and to serve as a sort of "discipline squad" to maintain parliamentary order.

When DPP legislators tried to block the inauguration of overseas Chinese legislators at the opening of the 85th session by standing in front of the flag, for instance, the caucus unfurled another one and protected it and the judge so the swearing- in ceremony could be finished.

The Legislative Yuan has been wracked by disorder for a long time. At first, the members caught some "collateral damage" in their efforts to break up the fights, but now they mostly try to buttonhole irascible members on the side, talk to them individually and distract their attention to keep them from joining the fray.

Because of its limited strength, the caucus' efforts haven't had any earthshaking effects so far, and legislative free-for-alls are still heard of on occasion. But according to a senior legislative reporter, the brawls the public sees in the media have almost all been diluted and mitigated by the caucus first--otherwise the battles would have raged even more fiercely.

Beyond their role as peacemakers, the caucus's main focus is still legislative work, and their attention to duty, Chou Chuan believes, is remarkable among their colleagues. "We have the highest at tendance rate of any group in the legislature. We're almost always there in full force."

Besides paying attention to attendance, the eight women have also fought to join other legislative caucuses. Chu Feng-chih, who is a member of four other groups, says that participation in other groups can help them grow and can broaden their personal ties and friendships.

In reply to those who wonder whether the demands of different groups might lead to conflicts, the women all say that hasn't yet happened. Chou Chuan, who belongs to two other groups, explains that, first, they are usually less experienced than their colleagues and are willing to play the role of "interns." Second, the groups don't have absolute binding power over their members, so if their views differ they don't have to concur. And third, the chief concern of the women's caucus is women's rights and the welfare of the powerless, issues that rarely conflict with the proposals of other groups.

Young and eager to learn, the women's caucus doesn't want to have to reinvent the wheel, shut off from the outside world. One of their aims in visiting the U.S. earlier this year, through the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was to expand their horizons and see how their counterparts have fared.

During their visit they met with women members of both houses of Congress, the international affairs offices of the Democratic and Republican parties, women's organizations, the deputy secretary of the Department of Transportation, a woman governor and so forth. Even though they were pleased to find that the participation of women in government is higher in the R.O.C. than in the U.S., they weren't smug about it and they closely studied areas worthy of emulation.

Having gone through a period of warm-up as legislators, even though they haven't all become powerful commanders on the floor, the members of the caucus are gradually learning to combine their forces as a group.

"If you want a bill to come up for review, you have to exercise some clout." Ko Yu-chin, the caucus's elder sister, says they nominated Hung Hsiu-chu, who has had many years of experience in party affairs work, for vice secretary of the KMT legislative caucus, and they have encouraged and supported each other in becoming conveners of various committees.

"The convener serves as the chairman of each meeting, receives proposals from petitioning representatives and has the power to decide the order of bills on the agenda." She says with some satisfaction that four caucus members are conveners of the 12 committees in the legislature: Chou Chuan and Hung Tung-kui of the Education Committee, Hsiao Chin-lan of the Organic Laws and Statutes Committee and she herself of the Home Affairs Committee.

The most eminent example of caucus effectiveness, Hsiao Chin-lan says, was the passage during the 87th session of a bill they supported on nursing personnel.

Most bills have to go through the Home Affairs Committee, headed by Ko Yu-chin, first. She demanded the bill be put on the agenda for mark up, and Chu Feng-chih, who works on the prorules committee, ensured it was sent expeditiously to the floor for a vote.

"There are all kinds of bills waiting to get on the floor for a vote," Ko says. "If it hadn't been for our cooperation, who knows when it would have been enacted into law."

Some people feel the caucus's scope of concern isn't broad enough. The members don't agree.

"To be special, you have to be different from the rest," Hung Tung-kui believes. Political squabbling is the only issue played up in the media right now, and the caucus has become popular with the public by going out of its way to sing a different tune.

"But we're not here just for show," Hung Tung- kui asserts. "If we rarely get involved with financial and economic issues, that doesn't mean we don't care about them, just that one coalition can't be greedy and go after everything. As women our selves, doesn't ourconcern for women's issues show off our strengths to best advantage? First, the caucus can serve as a spokesperson for women whenever a women's issue comes up. And second, the eight of us are the best testimony ourselves for encouraging women to take part in politics!"

With a year and a half of their terms remaining, the caucus wants make use of its space to develop closer cooperation and more clout. Wang Su-yun suggests they each come up with a legislative program and formulate a joint platform to consolidate their power and work toward the greater welfare of the nation and the public.

(Melody Hsieh/photos by Vincent Chang/tr.by Peter Eberly)

Ko Yu-chin, 52

Convener of the Home Affairs Committee, Legislative Yuan

Ko Yu-chin, a representative with a labor constituency, still has the plain, hard-working character of a laborer. She is active, energetic and attentive to party allies. Her colleagues feel she is more like a mother or an older sister to them than a politician.

Even though she has none of the airs of a politician, she has a strong desire for public service. During the revisions to the Labor Standards Law last year, she rushed about nonstop talking with people, in the labor movement. "I was only fighting for reasonable rights for labor!" she says.

In the future, she wants to encourage labor to make more active use of pressure groups and lobbying groups and will urge the establishment of a lobbying law. "The rights of labor can't be negotiated fairly and rationally unless there's a legal framework in place for the forum."

Hung Tung-kuei, 43

Convener of the Education Committee, Legislative Yuan

Ph.D.-holder Hung Tung-kuei, always renowned for her learning, devotes at least four hours every day to reading.

She takes a dim view of the endless scraps and scuffles in the Legislative Yuan. Admitting she's no brawler, she prefers to persuade by reasoning, and she wants to advocate a "new culture" for the Legislative Yuan.

That involves restoring the prestige of three major concepts: the first is to cultivate an atmosphere of reason, of verbal rather than physical argument; the second is to be adept at using the legislator's special immunities of speech; the third is to respect the rules of parliamentary order, whereby the minority obeys the majority.

"Reasoned argument may not find favor with the media, but it's preserved in the official records of the legislature." Hung Tung-kuei believes that answering to history is much more important than a moment's fame.

Hung Hsiu-chu, 42

Member of the Home Affairs Committee, Legislative Yuan

Hung Hsiu-chu, a high school guidance counselor and dean of studies for many years, is an eloquent and cogent debater. Voters sometimes don't understand why she's so quiet in the legislature, not realizing that it's done for "the greater good."

"I'm vice secretary of the KMT legislative caucus, and for the sake of harmony in the party, I can't steal the floor," she explains.

Even so, her skill at using strong-arm tactics or gentle persuasion at crucial moments has often made older legislators stand up and take note.

She put her talents as a speaker to use recently during the debate on the "social order maintenance bill," after more than 50 legislators had taken the floor with much redundancy and repetition, by telling a true story:

She once asked legislator A, an attorney by calling, why he always took 50 minutes to say something that could have been said in five. He said she didn't understand the first thing about business lawyers charges by the hour, and the longer they talk, the more money they make. Hearing that, a famous attorney laughed and remarked that A must be hurting for clients, because lawyers with a lot of business don't have time to ramble on and on.

"And we've got even more business to get on with here at the Legislative Yuan," Hung Hsiu-chu concluded, to general applause.

Chu Feng-chih, 42

Member of the Home Affairs Committee, Legislative Yuan

Believing the most direct way to get involved in politics and stand up for people's rights is to take part in it, Chu Feng-chih tossed her hat into the ring ten years ago and ran for the Taoyuan county council, serving two terms there before winning easy election to the Legislative Yuan.

She has had the full support of her husband, children and in-laws in her political career and is deeply aware of the importance of the family, a feeling confirmed after her return from the United States. She found that almost all American women in politics are old enough to be grandmothers or else unmarried, divorced or widowed, as though they can't engage wholeheartedly in politics unless there's something missing in their family. Chu Feng-chih thinks the Chinese family system has advantages for women in politics: the older people can handle the housework, so their daughter or daughter-in-law needn't feel remiss.

Since her husband works at the Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology, much of her support has come from people in the armed forces, but being called a "military" legislator doesn't bother her: "A lot of people work for the armed forces besides professional soldiers. Who stands up for them? I speak for the vast majority of ordinary people in the military--not for the big officials in the Ministry of Defense!"

Hsiao Chin-lan, 42

Convener of the Organic Laws and Statutes Committee, Legislative Yuan

Originally a Kaohsiung county councilwoman, Hsiao Chin-lan insists on gradual reform. She often speaks up for military, police and government workers and is considered a spokesperson for the middle class.

Rational and moderate as she is, she criticizes the Legislative Yuan for its "fast food" approach to legislation at times. She objected strongly to its abbreviated procedures in abolishing a sedition law recently in response to student protests, for instance.

"If student protests can gain government attention and speed up reform, that's positive. But tossing out a law without full discussions just to placate students is too hasty." Even though the sedition law has been abolished, she wants to remind people that even if bills are backed up before the legislature they shouldn't be rushed through like fast food.

As for her political career, she always made a "worst-case scenario." She believes that way she can better serve the chief principle of political involvement: to say what needs to be said, to do what needs to be done, and to fight for what needs to be fought for.

Wang Su-yun, 37

Member of the Finance Committee, Legislative Yuan

Wang Su-yun was elected to the Pingtung county council at the age of 24 and served there for 12 years. Her many years of experience at the local level, trekking over hill and dale to meet with her constituents, have enabled her to reflect their views more closely in legislation and to serve as a bridge with the central government.

Because of her concern for agriculture and fishery, for instance, she has been closely involved in the issues of trade in agricultural products, fishermen's welfare and fishing rights negotiations.

In addition, based on her many years of government experience, she believes that legislation shouldn't be passed piecemeal, just to oil a squeaky wheel. In the recent series of squabbles over the law on punishment for sedition, for instance, the government should have discussed all the related laws at the same time, eliminating those that need to be eliminated and revising those that need to be revised. That's the only way that similar incidents can be prevented from occurring again.

Chou Chuan, 34

Convener of the Education Committee, Legislative Yuan

Chou Chuan, a journalist by training, has attracted broad attention since taking office for her diligence and the noise she has made in introducing new bills. When the mental health bill was being debated, for instance, she advocated castration of rapists, and she has urged changing the death penalty to hanging, because "it's better for organ donation. It's easier to judge brain death."

But beyond holding rather shocking views, Chou Chuan pays close attention to women's issues and the welfare of the disadvantaged. She has urged the government to set up an recreational park for the blind, to train blind music teachers, to provide vocational guidance for them and the like.

In addition to engaging in legislative discussion, Chou Chuan has gone out and practiced what she preaches. Her concerns over child prostitution led her to take part in onsite remedial guidance, and she has hired a handicapped assistant to set an example in providing employment opportunities for the disabled.

In the future, besides standing up for the powerless and disadvantaged, Chou Chuan plans to pay more attention to the issues of education and mass communications, where she believes she can have a major impact thanks to her background in the news industry.

Shen Chih-hui, 34

Member of the Home Affairs Committee, Legislative Yuan

Shen Chih-hui was once known for her out- spokenness as a journalist, but she took vows to become a Buddhist nun earlier this year, after many years of being a vegetarian, and her political style has gradually become mild and self-effacing.

"I hope to engage in politics with the spirit of a Buddhist serving in the secular world," she says.

As a reporter, she came to understand how unfair the negotiations were between the U.S. and the R.O.C. on liquor and tobacco imports, which led to cigarettes being sold on school grounds, severely harming the health of our nation's young. As a result, she has paid special attention in the Legislative Yuan, to international negotiations and has been closely watching the negotiations on fishing rights among the R.O.C., the Philippines and South Korea, hoping that innocent Chinese won't end up suffering again.

At the same time, she is also concerned about the elderly, child welfare and religious issues. She considers religious groups politically under- represented because "even though there's a large population of the faithful in Taiwan, there is still no law on religion to protect and regulate religious activities."

Shen Chih-hui, who has carried a Buddhist rosary with her for many years, adds that she wants to have a law on religion established as soon as possible.

[Picture Caption]

The eight members of the women's caucus offer fresh, clean images and dynamic leadership. From left to right are Chou Chuan, Chu Feng-chih, Hsiao Chin-lan, Hung Hsiu- chu, Hung Tung-kui, Ko Yu-chin, Shen Chih-hui and Wang Su-yun.

A she giving flowers to a he? On the first day of the 85th session, they presented flowers to each of their colleagues, hoping to bring harmony to the legislative chamber with a "soft touch."

Chou Chuan meets with some stock market investors with a petition.

Caucus members laugh and talk at one of their biweekly luncheon meetings.

The eight members of the women's caucus offer fresh, clean images and dynamic leadership. From left to right are Chou Chuan, Chu Feng-chih, Hsiao Chin-lan, Hung Hsiu- chu, Hung Tung-kui, Ko Yu-chin, Shen Chih-hui and Wang Su-yun.

A she giving flowers to a he? On the first day of the 85th session, they presented flowers to each of their colleagues, hoping to bring harmony to the legislative chamber with a "soft touch.".

Chou Chuan meets with some stock market investors with a petition.

Caucus members laugh and talk at one of their biweekly luncheon meetings.