Human Rights Commission to Investigate Gender Discrimination in Village Chief Election and Appointment Process
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) is launching an investigation amid ongoing concerns about gender discrimination in the election and appointment process of village chiefs.
On the 31st, the NHRCK announced that it will conduct an ex officio investigation into gender discrimination in the election and appointment process of village chiefs across more than 130 basic local governments under nine metropolitan autonomous entities nationwide. The commission plans to analyze ordinances related to the election and appointment of village chiefs in each basic local government, the bylaws of each village council, and the gender of village chiefs over the past decade to identify any discriminatory practices. If necessary, they will also gather opinions on the situation on the ground through interviews and meetings with female village chiefs.
The NHRCK’s Discrimination Remedy Committee believes that there are practices in local communities that restrict women's social and economic participation. As of November 2021, among approximately 37,000 village chiefs nationwide, over 90% were men, indicating that women are underrepresented compared to the population and gender ratio in rural areas. Furthermore, as the number of returnees to farming increases, conflicts have arisen within local communities due to the practice of women not participating equally in grassroots autonomous administration in rural areas.
The NHRCK stated, "Through this ex officio investigation, it is necessary to analyze the actual state of discriminatory practices and prepare alternatives to expand women's participation in community activities and establish a foundation for gender equality."
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Meanwhile, last month, the NHRCK recommended improvements regarding a practice in one village where only men had been elected as village chiefs for 60 years and women were excluded from decision-making processes.
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