Taipei: The Taipei City government is advancing its efforts to promote gender equality by addressing funeral arrangements, an area that has traditionally gone unnoticed. This initiative follows the release of guidelines in February aimed at fostering gender-equal funerals for both businesses and the public. These guidelines highlight that traditional Taiwanese mortuary practices have predominantly seen men in ceremonial leadership roles, with women managing caregiving and logistical duties.
According to Focus Taiwan, the guidelines also emphasize the exclusion or oversight of transgender and LGBTQ+ individuals within funeral ceremonies, often preventing loved ones or partners from participating fully or expressing their grief. The guidelines suggest that by dismantling these gender role constraints, every family member, partner, and caregiver, irrespective of gender identity or sexual orientation, can have an equal role in the farewell process.
Kuo Hsien-hung, head of the Taipei Funeral Service Industry Association, described the guidelines as a move towards a more gender-equal funeral culture in Taiwan. He noted that the industry has shown mixed reactions: about one-third opposed, another third still trying to understand, and the remainder relatively supportive. Kuo remarked that businesses generally respond to market demand, and adapting to new mortuary service practices requires time and resources.
Out of approximately 300 registered funeral businesses in Taipei, only 10 to 15 have requested the guidelines, indicating that change is gradual. The guidelines do not carry legal obligations for funeral businesses, as noted by Chen Chih-hao, deputy director of the Taipei City Mortuary Services Office. He pointed out the industry's historical lack of gender sensitivity, with traditional funerals maintaining a strict male-centered hierarchy.
Taiwanese funerals have historically involved male relatives in key roles such as announcing deaths and leading mourning rites. Kuo noted that funerals today should reflect personal identity rather than uphold traditional authority structures. The public-facing brochures guide families through traditional funeral stages, with a detailed appendix for renegotiating with service providers.
The guidelines also aim to assist families of transgender or same-sex individuals in negotiating services that respect the deceased's gender identity. For example, families could select a shroud that aligns with the deceased's identified gender.
Kuo is contemplating a certification system to recognize funeral service providers meeting gender-equality standards, potentially linking their performance to annual evaluations within the next two years.