Two weeks ago Taiwan decriminalized adultery – an issue covered by The Taiwan Times here.
With the government in making this decision referring to the ban as in violation of personal sexual freedoms and choices, there has been much discussion online and no doubt in private, as to the pros and cons of such a move.
The Taiwan Times has now been contacted by Erin Leite, Communications Coordinator for rubylife.com, a self-titled “industry leader in innovative, open-minded dating services” who list amongst their clients Ashley Madison, – described online as “the world’s leading married dating website operating for more than 65 million members globally since 2002.”
Ms. Leite in referring to Ashley Madison claims the company has “seen a dramatic increase in signups in Taiwan, including a more than 600% increase of the daily average for new female members.”
Speaking about this “trend toward females” Paul Keable, the company’s Chief Strategy Officer has said:
“The previous law deeming adultery a crime was viewed as a tool to oppress desire, mainly against women, who, historically, have been told to refrain from being overtly sexual. Now that the Taiwanese government has decriminalized infidelity, we’re not surprised to see this strong interest from women, who we know are just as sexually-driven as men. In fact, the ratio of active paid male accounts to active female accounts in Taiwan in 2019 was 1:1.3, so there are actually more women using Ashley Madison than men.”
Leite went on to state that “Between May 29th, 2020, and June 14th, 2020, the North District of Hsinchu City saw the most signups to Ashley Madison in the country” adding that “The value that the platform provides to those seeking discreet and fulfilling connections outside their marriage is clear. A secret affair can often fill a gap not being filled in the primary relationship without dismantling an entire household over, say, a lack of sex between a husband and wife.”
With the scrapping of the ban still in its early days in Taiwan, conservative as well as more liberal groups are still coming to terms with what is a monumental shift in the domestic psyche in this corner of Asia, but as Leite says “(W)ith the ban overturned and married people throughout Taiwan flocking to meet extramarital partners, perhaps we can begin an honest conversation about the realities of monogamy and what’s really going on with marriages today.”
