On Women's Day, Minister Jeong Young-ae Pledges to Eliminate Gender Gap in Labor Market

Minister Jeong Young-ae of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Announces Women's Day Message
Hosts Meeting with Women Leaders Who Broke the Glass Ceiling
Invites Navy's First Female Ship Captain and First Female Profiler Among Others

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Jung Young-ae is attending the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 19th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Jeong Young-ae, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, said on March 8, International Women's Day, "We will do our best to ensure that women are not further marginalized and suffer due to being women during the COVID-19 situation."

On the 7th, Minister Jeong stated in her message commemorating Women's Day, "The employment crisis caused by COVID-19 has dealt a greater blow to women due to poor working conditions and gender gaps, and with caregiving responsibilities also falling on women, situations where women give up work are occurring."

Minister Jeong explained, "To eliminate gender gaps in the labor market, we will promote the creation of women-specialized, region- and industry-tailored jobs and expand employment services such as job placement and entrepreneurship support. We will actively support women entering promising future fields such as new technologies and digital sectors."

"Eliminating Gender Gaps in Labor... Establishing a Foundation for Protection Against Sexual Crimes"

International Women's Day commemorates the day on March 8, 1908, when American women workers rose up demanding survival rights and suffrage. The United Nations designated it as International Women's Day in 1975. In South Korea, Women's Day was designated as a legal commemorative day in March 2018 following the revision of the 'Framework Act on Gender Equality.'

Minister Jeong said, "I believe that the power of mutual care and solidarity will lead us to a better life. That is the spirit that March 8 International Women's Day demands from us."

Minister Jeong explained, "Over the past 20 years, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has supported women's economic activities through policies such as the abolition of the family head system, policies for women with career interruptions, and work-family balance. Measures to prevent violence against women and support victims have also been steadily strengthened, creating a social foundation that protects against sexual crimes, including digital sexual crimes and those targeting children and adolescents."

Minister Jeong said, "As a result of efforts over the past three years to enhance women's representation, as of 2020, one in five department heads in central administrative agencies and local governments is a woman, and the proportion of female executives in public institutions has exceeded 20%. We will strive further to ensure that the achievements in women's representation and gender balance in the public sector spread to the private sector."

Meeting Female Leaders Who Broke the Glass Ceiling to Hear Their Opinions

On the afternoon of the same day, Minister Jeong will hold a meeting at the Government Seoul Office with female leaders who have broken the glass ceiling and are opening new paths in various fields in celebration of International Women's Day.

The meeting will include ▲ Lieutenant Colonel Ahn Hee-hyun, the first female captain in the Navy ▲ Cho Hyun-jin, Director of the Marine Pollution Control Bureau and the first female senior official in the Coast Guard ▲ Lee Jin-sook, Korea's first female profiler and crime analyst ▲ Professor Park Eun-jung of Kyung Hee University, a top 1% researcher in research performance ▲ CEO Ahn Hyung-sun of Likers, a housing repair service company ▲ Bae Yoon-kyung, selected as the best train operator (Topcon) by Incheon Transit Corporation in 2020.

They will share opinions on creating environments where women can fully demonstrate their abilities and work equally in each field, and fostering workplace cultures where both men and women can sufficiently use parental leave or caregiving leave.

Minister Jeong stated, "Female leaders who overcome social perceptions and environmental constraints to demonstrate their capabilities serve as good role models for juniors considering entering the same fields. Based on the achievements in enhancing women's representation in decision-making positions such as public officials and executives in public institutions, we will continue efforts to expand the female talent pool and support leadership development to increase women's social participation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.