Even though the Civil Code has allowed children to take their mother's family name, only 1.52 percent of newborns in Taiwan have been using their mother's surname since 2007. The Awakening Foundation is blaming the situation on the government's lack of advocacy to promote gender equality.

Thirty-seven-year-old Hsiu Luan, who has no male siblings, made an agreement with her husband that their two children would take on her last name.

Although the couple's children and parents were initially opposed to the idea, they learned to accept the situation after communication.

There are actually very few cases like this in Taiwan.

An investigation by the Awakening Foundation has found that since civil laws were amended in 2007 and passed in 2010 allowing adults to change their surnames at will, the ratio of individuals who take on their maiden name only rose by 0.09%, while the ratio of newborns to adopt their maiden name only increased by 1.52%.

It seems that modern Taiwanese society is still patriarchic.

The Awakening Foundation believes that the government has not been actively promoting the rights of mothers, and is urging for related departments to encourage the concept of gender equality and increase importance of maiden names.