Taipei City will become the first city in Taiwan to offer paternity and maternity leave for same-sex parents

Even though Taiwan recently bacme the first country in Asia to approve same-sex marriage it could take up to two years for the legislation to clear parliament.

The city’s mayor, Ko Wen-je said the lag in updating the marriage equality laws meant same-sex couples are still not eligible for parental leave.

Private sector employees will still have to wait for the country’s laws to change. But public sector workers in Taipei City will now get parental leave.

Workers who have registered their same-sex relationships can get up to eights days marriage leave and five days of paternal leave.

Taipei City Government has already started approving applications for family leave for LGBTI employees according to reports in Taiwan News.

Housing and partnerships

Since 2015 Taipei City has officially recognized same-sex partnerships of couples living together.

In March, the city announced same-sex couples would be able to apply for and rent government housing.

Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize marriage equality. In May, the Legislative Yuan ruled it was unconstitutional to only recognize marriage as between a man and a woman.