"Let's Use 'Career-Holding Women' Instead of 'Career-Interrupted Women': Term Change Bill Proposed"

Lee Yeon-hee, Democratic Party Lawmaker, Introduces Amendment to the Women’s Economic Activity Act
“Restrict Negative Terms to Change Perceptions”

A bill called the 'Women’s Career Retention Act' has been proposed to improve the environment for women’s caregiving labor by restricting the use of the negative term 'career interruption.'

On the 20th, Lee Yeon-hee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Cheongju Heungdeok-gu, serving on the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee and the Gender Equality and Family Committee), introduced a revision bill titled 'Act on Promoting Women’s Economic Activities and Preventing Career Interruptions.' The bill changes the term 'career-interrupted women' to 'career-retaining women' and recognizes caregiving labor for family members as economic activity career at the national level.

The bill was proposed to create a social perception shift that recognizes caregiving labor as labor by restricting the use of the negative term 'career interruption,' and to establish an environment where women’s caregiving labor is fairly evaluated.

The negative connotations embedded in the term 'career interruption' not only discourage women but also spread a social perception that caregiving labor during the period of career interruption?such as childcare, housework, and nursing care?is not recognized as labor, explained Lee’s office. According to the 2021 Gender Equality Survey by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, 85.1% of women in their 30s in South Korea identified 'career interruption' as the most urgent gender inequality issue to be resolved. Regarding reasons for not having children, 15% of women answered 'because it would interfere with their work.'

Accordingly, the revision bill proposed by Lee includes ▲ changing the term 'career interruption' to 'career retention,' ▲ recognizing caregiving labor for family members of career-retaining women as economic activity career, and ▲ allowing tax incentives and award regulations for companies that hire career-retaining women.

Lee Yeon-hee, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Lee said, "Language not only reflects our society’s perceptions but also contributes to solidifying and reproducing social structures," adding, "Now is the time to break away from the era of women’s career interruption and continuously create an environment where career-retaining women are socially respected."

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