Paju City Holds 9th Travel Path Education Session, Expanding Gender Equality Awareness through Citizen Participation

Paju City in Gyeonggi Province conducted a "Travel Path Education" session for about 30 citizens on the morning of May 12 at the gender equality education space "Gender Equality Paju" (55-41, Yeonpung 3-gil, Paju-eup) located in the red-light district.

During the session, the importance of "demand reduction" and "awareness improvement" was emphasized, and the discussion specifically addressed why citizens' proper gender sensitivity is as crucial as policy implementation. The session explained the process by which prostitution becomes entrenched, the impact of distorted sexual perceptions, and the necessity of education to correct these issues.

Afterwards, participants toured archival materials set up at the hub facility, examining the formation and transformation of the red-light district. Through on-site explanations, they gained a deeper understanding of the progress made in the maintenance and reorganization of the district and discussed new interpretations of the space's significance.

Participating citizens responded, "Seeing and hearing about the local issue firsthand made it feel much more real," and, "While policy efforts are important, I was once again reminded that changes in public perception must also occur."

Since 2023, Paju City has been regularly conducting Travel Path Education sessions each week to build societal consensus around closing the red-light district. The city continues to enhance the educational content to go beyond simply providing information, ensuring that citizens can deeply understand the issue and develop a sense of responsibility.

A Paju City official stated, "Travel Path Education serves as a starting point for citizen participation toward a city free of prostitution," adding, "We will continue our efforts to encourage diverse citizens to participate in these sessions so that the values of gender equality can naturally take root in the community."