National Gender Equality Index 74.7 Points... 'Decision-Making' Still Low

Highest in Health Sector but Lowest in Decision-Making
Regional Gender Equality Index Rises by 0.5 Points to 76.9
Gender Equality Index Revised... Applied from 2021 Index

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The national gender equality index for 2020 was 74.7 points, showing an increase of 1.0 point compared to the previous year.

On the 9th, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family held the 14th Gender Equality Committee meeting to review the 2020 national gender equality index measurement results, its revision, and future tasks for gender equality policies through written deliberation.

In accordance with the Framework Act on Gender Equality, the level of national gender equality has been assessed and announced since 2010 to understand the status and establish policy directions.

The gender equality index consists of three areas: gender-equal social participation, women's human rights and welfare, and gender equality awareness and culture. The fields include eight categories: economic activity, decision-making, education, welfare, family, health, safety, and culture.

The 2020 national gender equality index scored 74.7 points, with the highest scores by area being ▲women's human rights and welfare (82.0 points) ▲gender equality awareness and culture (75.0 points) ▲social participation (69.1 points).

By field, health (97.0) showed the highest level of gender equality, while the decision-making field (37.0 points) remains low.

The regional gender equality index, reflecting local characteristics, was 76.9 points, up 0.5 points from the previous year. The top regions in gender equality were Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, Daejeon, and Jeju, while the lower-ranking regions were Chungnam, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, and Gyeongbuk.

Regions where the gender equality index increased compared to the previous year include Seoul, Ulsan, Incheon, and Gyeongnam, while it decreased in Sejong, Gyeonggi, Chungbuk, and Jeonbuk.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has been working on revising the gender equality index since 2019 to reflect the changing social landscape and finalized the revision plan in December last year.

Based on the definition of gender equality in the Framework Act on Gender Equality, the gender equality goals were set with a system of 3 major goals, 7 areas, and 22 indicators. The three major goals are 'equal empowerment, equal access to resources, and equal relationships.'

Among the existing eight fields, the economic activity and welfare fields have been reorganized into employment and income areas, and the family field into the care area. Reflecting the importance of social awareness, gender equality (gender) awareness was newly established as an area.

The violence area will not be included in the overall gender equality index score calculation but will be managed separately to focus on understanding the status and severity of violence.

The revised gender equality index will be applied starting from December, when the 2021 national gender equality index is announced.

Additionally, the Ministry plans to expand participation by gender, generation, and region as a major task of gender equality policy and systematize gender equality education to close the gender perception gap.

In response to the increasing complexity and diversification of gender-based violence, the Ministry will strengthen response systems by type and promote policy research to enhance women's health rights.

While strengthening the practical role of the Gender Equality Policy Officer, the Ministry plans to expand regional gender equality centers and improve the quality of gender mainstreaming policies such as gender impact assessments.

Minister Jeong Young-ae of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family stated, "It is positive that the level of gender equality has improved as the government has made the realization of a substantive gender-equal society a national agenda and actively promoted policies such as enhancing women's representation and work-life balance. However, there are still significant disparities across fields. To realize a better gender-equal society, we will expand participation by gender and generation in the government's policy implementation process and focus government capabilities on social responsibility for care and eradicating various forms of violence online."

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