Hwasun-gun Completes Certification as a Child, Women, and Elderly Friendly City in Three Major Categories

[Hwasun=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Ji-woon] Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Gu Chung-gon) has completed the certification of the three major friendly cities for children, women, and the elderly, which was promoted as a key task during the 7th local government administration, and will actively implement detailed policies to create these three friendly cities.

According to the county on the 15th, it became the 8th local government nationwide and the first in Jeollanam-do to receive all three friendly city certifications.

Previously, the county completed the three friendly city certifications by obtaining UNICEF child-friendly city certification in December last year, designation as a women-friendly city by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and approval for joining the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Network for Age-friendly Cities last month.

Since 2018, the county has promoted policies and established a foundation for child and youth-friendly cities, becoming the 6th county-level UNICEF child-friendly city nationwide and the 4th in Jeollanam-do.

Starting with the enactment of the 'Child and Youth Friendly City Establishment Ordinance,' the county established institutional foundations and governance systems through agreements with the UNICEF Korea Committee and related organizations, as well as local community cooperation systems.

The county also formed and operated a Child-Friendly City Promotion Committee, appointed and operated a child rights advocate (ombudsperson), prepared a child-friendly budget, held a 100-citizen roundtable discussion, operated a child and youth council, and provided child rights education and publicity for children, parents, and public officials, thereby laying the foundation for a child-friendly city.

Under the vision of “Hwasun, a Child-Friendly City Where Dreams Grow Together,” the county will actively promote 37 strategic projects across six areas: play and leisure, participation and civic consciousness, safety and protection, health and social services, educational environment, and family environment.

The county is also promoting various women-friendly policies under the vision of “Hwasun, a Premium Women-Friendly City Made Happier Together” by enacting related ordinances.

This year, the county plans to establish a five-year action plan for women-friendly cities and implement various projects such as forming a women-friendly city council and task force, providing specialized capacity-building education for the women-friendly city citizen participation group, operating women’s safety guardian houses, and supporting prize money for outstanding departments promoting women-friendly city projects.

The county has set five major policy goals: establishing a foundation for gender equality policy promotion, expanding women’s economic and social participation, enhancing local community safety, creating a family-friendly environment, and strengthening women’s capacity for community activities, and will implement 63 detailed projects across four fields.

An age-friendly city is a city equipped with policies, infrastructure, and services that support the elderly to live healthy and active social lives, aiming to create a city where anyone can live and want to live for a lifetime regardless of age.

The county has systematized policies and taken proactive measures in preparation for an aging society and demographic changes, focusing on the establishment of ordinances, formulation of basic plans for age-friendly city creation, and the formation and operation of an age-friendly city creation committee and monitoring group.

Under the vision of “Hwasun, the No.1 Generation Solidarity for Happy Aging,” the county will implement action plans across eight WHO age-friendly city guideline areas: safety and age-friendly facilities, transportation convenience, residential convenience, participation in community activities, social respect and inclusion, utilization of elderly resources and job support, communication and information provision, and local welfare and health.

Starting with the certification of the three friendly cities, the county plans to discover and promote various policies to create a “warm welfare community” without exclusion of any age, class, gender, or region, including children, the elderly, women, people with disabilities, and multicultural families.

Governor Gu Chung-gon said, “The certification of the three friendly cities is not a goal but signifies that a foundation has been laid for expanding universal welfare for various generations and classes,” adding, “Taking this certification as an opportunity, we will meticulously expand social, economic, and cultural systems and infrastructure to create a warm welfare community where anyone wants to live.”

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