Korean Women's Associations United Selects 7 'Gender Equality Obstacles' of the Year

"Leading Discrimination Against Foreign Workers"

On March 8, International Women's Day, the Korean Women's Associations United selected this year's Women's Movement Award and the stepping stones and stumbling blocks for gender equality. The stumbling blocks for gender equality included Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul; Kim Tae-heum, Governor of Chungnam Province; and Lee Jang-woo, Mayor of Daejeon Metropolitan City. However, the Seoul city government immediately protested, calling it a "political attack."

The Korean Women's Associations United announced this list in a press release on the 7th. This designation identifies individuals or organizations that have acted as stumbling blocks to achieving gender equality in our society.

Individuals named included ▲Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of Seoul ▲Lee Jang-woo, Mayor of Daejeon Metropolitan City ▲Kim Tae-heum, Governor of Chungnam Province ▲Jung Gyu-heon, Gyeongnam Provincial Assembly member. The organization explained that Mayor Oh "belittled the value of domestic care labor and led discrimination against foreign workers." In 2022, Mayor Oh proposed paying foreign domestic helpers wages lower than the minimum wage, and this plan sparked controversy when a pilot project was planned for this year.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is attending the 2024 Press New Year Meeting held at Seoul City Hall on Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 17th, answering reporters' questions. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

However, the Seoul city government expressed displeasure through a statement by spokesperson Shin Seon-jong, calling the gender equality stumbling block selection by the "left-wing group" Women's United "an unacceptable and one-sided political attack." They added, "Mayor Oh and Seoul City are actively implementing various proactive policies to make Seoul a better place for women to live and to protect women's human rights and safety," criticizing the Korean Women's Associations United's announcement as "actions lacking even the minimum information and understanding of the women-friendly policies promoted by Mayor Oh and Seoul City."

They further cited examples such as the nationwide first opening of the 'Seoul Digital Sexual Crime Safety Support Center,' support for victims of sexual crimes to return to daily life using the 'Digital Sexual Crime Artificial Intelligence (AI) Deletion Program,' and the distribution of SOS emergency bells and safety alarms, emphasizing that "since 2006, women's happiness policies have been established across all urban sectors."

Additionally, Mayor Lee faced criticism from civic groups after Daejeon City closed the Daejeon Human Rights Center, a private consignment institution, last year. Governor Kim restricted access to gender equality and sex education books in public and school libraries across Chungnam. Assembly member Jung sparked controversy last year in the Gyeongnam Provincial Assembly Education Committee by making hateful remarks about feminism and homosexuality, saying, "Those who call themselves feminists are homosexuals."

Organizations named included ▲X (formerly Twitter Korea) ▲Nexon Korea ▲Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency.

The Women's Movement Award this year was given to Ko Sook-hee, a women's disability rights activist. The organization praised her for "challenging entrenched stereotypes about 'disabled persons and sexual violence victims' and driving organizational change within the disability rights movement." Ko publicly disclosed a sexual violence incident she experienced within her organization in 2021.

The 'Gender Equality Stepping Stone' award, given to individuals or organizations contributing to gender equality in society, was awarded to ▲Kim Hyun-jin (who exposed 'sexual violence within literary circles') ▲Jo Soo-yeon and Shin Eun-mi (who reported cases of 'gender discrimination in promotion evaluations') ▲Kim Jin-joo (who publicized criminal justice procedures without victims) ▲Pastor Lee Dong-hwan (who has worked against discrimination by the Methodist Church against sexual minorities), among others.

The Women's United plans to hold the '39th Korean Women's Conference' on the 8th at Cheonggye Plaza in Jung-gu, Seoul, where they will announce this year's Women's Movement Award, the Gender Equality Stepping Stones, and the Stumbling Blocks, along with speeches from the award recipients.

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