'Gender Equality Policies' Missing in General Election... Women's Groups Demand Policies from Political Parties

Women’s organizations demanded that each political party implement women’s and gender equality policy tasks ahead of the 22nd National Assembly general election. They pointed out that gender equality policies, such as securing women’s employment stability and closing the gender wage gap, were not addressed as major issues in the policy pledges of each party in this election.

According to the Korean Women’s Associations United, a coalition of 28 women’s organizations, on the 5th, they announced the results of publicly querying each party about the 'Gender Policy Tasks for the 24th General Election' the day before. The coalition presented a public questionnaire to each party containing gender policy tasks such as ▲establishing gender-equal climate policies ▲strengthening the gender equality promotion system (including dedicated gender equality policy ministries) ▲introducing a universal childcare allowance system ▲guaranteeing social security rights for single-parent migrant women ▲revising laws and enforcing strict legal measures to prevent the spread of prostitution and the sex industry. They formulated these policy tasks in September last year and sent the questionnaires in December last year and February to March this year.

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The coalition stated that they received 'supportive' responses from six parties?Green Justice Party, Democratic Party of Korea, New Future, New Progressive Union, Progressive Party, and Justice Innovation Party?on 16 out of 24 gender policy tasks. On the other hand, the People Power Party and Reform New Party did not submit response documents.

The coalition said, "We hope that the 16 gender policy tasks will be addressed promptly after the formation of the 22nd National Assembly," and added, "We expect active roles from each political party."

Earlier, on the 27th of last month, they held a policy debate on the general election and analyzed the women’s and gender equality policy pledges of each party. The coalition presented 10 criteria including ▲strengthening the gender equality promotion system ▲legislating a gender equality disclosure system ▲enacting a comprehensive anti-discrimination law ▲legislation against gender-based violence ▲establishing systems to strengthen women’s employment stability ▲improving care service systems ▲expanding work-care balance ▲guaranteeing sexual and reproductive rights ▲amending the Framework Act on Healthy Families ▲expanding gender equality education.

The coalition evaluated that the overall status of women’s and gender equality policies was not high across the parties. Parties that included gender equality policies at the agenda-setting level were the Green Justice Party, Justice Innovation Party, and Progressive Party, while the Democratic Party of Korea, Democratic United Party, and New Future included them at the goal or detailed policy level. The People Power Party, People’s Future Party, and Reform New Party were criticized for proposing only a very small number of women’s policies.

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Regarding specific pledges, only the Green Justice Party actively proposed 'expanding women’s political representation' and 'guaranteeing reproductive rights,' while the 'enactment of an anti-discrimination law' was included in the pledges of the Green Justice Party and Progressive Party. The coalition analyzed that 'closing the gender wage gap' was proposed by all parties except the People Power Party, People’s Future Party, and Reform New Party. The 'work and care balance policy' was also included by all parties except the People Power Party and People’s Future Party.

Oh Kyung-jin, Secretary General of the Korean Women’s Associations United, said at the debate, "In the 22nd general election, the political sphere shows a strong will to regard 'low birthrate' as a core social issue and a serious crisis in Korean society and to solve it," but pointed out, "However, low birthrate policies without a gender equality perspective are replacing gender equality policies as the core agenda and goals of major parties."

They also criticized the low proportion of women’s and gender equality policies in the pledges of the two major parties, the People Power Party and the Democratic Party of Korea. The coalition said, "The People Power Party completely excludes women’s and gender equality policies, and the Democratic Party of Korea does not even present basic positions such as strengthening the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family," adding, "It is doubtful how effective targeted policies will be without a gender equality vision."

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