Wang Ching-feng quit as minister of justice after coming under fire for her insistence on not executing inmates on death row. Many critics, including some women, decried her sympathy for the convicts as an example of female compassion. Two of Wang's male predecessors in the Ministry of Justice did not get described in the same way even though they also refused to execute convicts during their terms. It seems that there are still many who harbor the stereotype that woman are incapable of rationality and overly emotional. The term 'female compassion' is derogatory in the sense that it implies irrational benevolence. The opposite term would be 'iron lady, ' which refers to women who are tough rather than gentle and kind as they are expected to be. 'Iron lady' is not entirely a compliment, as it implies that a woman rules the roost in a place where men normally dominate. The discrimination against women may also be seen in the following example: nobody describes a competition or battle between two men as 'a war between two men.' There is nothing unusual or appealing enough to deserve the term. But a fight between women over a man, children, money or power will invariably be called 'a war between two women.' The phrase draws interest because it evokes images of women grabbing at each other's hair and clutching each other's clothes, and it is therefore widely used. As social values have diversified, the behavior of men and women has changed considerably. Men now can appear in public hand in hand. One example worthy of note is President Ma Ying-jeou and Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin holding hands to show their close friendship. Another example is business tycoon Terry Gou, nicknamed Genghis Khan for his toughness, who closely held the hand of his business rival Barry Lam to silence rumors of a feud between them. If Gou and Lam can join hands as a sign of friendship and gain the confidence of outside observers, then why should we use 'female compassion' to explain Wang Ching-feng's call for the abolishment of the death penalty? The term 'female compassion' should not be applied to women only. (March 15, 2010) 