Feminist Geography and Its Sluggish Development in Taiwan

In this paper, I draw on three waves of feminist geography to investigate the development of feminist geography and the environment of academy geography in Taiwan. The study shows that while feminism has gone through three waves of development, it is hardly taught and discussed in local academy. While there are many thorny gender issues inside and outside the academy, little gender-related research was held. Within the handful gender-related works, not much was informed by feminist ontology, epistemology, methodology and issues raised by the second and third wave feminism. In general feminist geography and gender issues have not been taken seriously. Local academy geography still keeps itself in rigid barrier and leaves little spaces for feminism. Although constrains set by nationalism, chauvinism and academic capitalism structures may have caused it, passive reaction by the academy allows the structural constrains unquestioned and prevailed. It is time to take action to raise gender consciousness. We need to introduce feminist-oriented ontology, epistemology and methodology and critique current gender-blind habitu?s, institutions and research works. We must walk out of the isolated cave and unite with other feminists to put pressure on the academy. With all these efforts we can then start to imagine and establish more gender-friendly environment and knowledge.