Why is South Korea abolishing its gender ministry?
South Korea may have developed into a global leader in both culture and technology, but while it quickly became one of the richest nations in the world, women were left behind. South Korea has the worst gender pay gap of any wealthy nation in the world, since women there are paid, on average, a third less than men. Boardrooms and politics are dominated by men. Just 5.8% of South Korean publicly traded firms’ executive roles are currently held by women. They are still expected to handle the majority of the childcare and housework.
A persistent sexual harassment culture can be added to this. Digital sex crimes, when women are recorded by tiny concealed cameras while they use the restroom or undress in changing rooms, are on the rise as a result of the burgeoning IT industry.
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Yoon Suk-yeol, the incoming president of South Korea, has stated that systemic sexism is “a thing of the past” rather than vowing to address these issues. Young males who argue that efforts to lessen inequality have made them the victims of reverse discrimination drove him to power.
President Yoon abolished government gender quotas when he took office and said that merit, not sex, would determine who was hired. He appointed only three women to his cabinet of 19 members. He is now attempting to defund the government’s Gender Equality Ministry, which assists women and victims of sexual assault, arguing that it is obsolete. With the claim that the closure would negatively affect women’s lives, more than 800 organizations have banded together to voice their opposition.
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What has to be looked at is the fact that women feel the ministry has had a significant impact on their lives despite receiving only 0.2% of the government’s budget. Since it was founded more than 20 years ago, it has helped women who have been the targets of harassment, women who have lost their jobs because they became pregnant, and it has also assisted single moms in obtaining more generous child support payments.
South Korea started Asia’s first and most popular #MeToo movement earlier in 2018. However, a wave of anti-feminism quickly swept the nation after its popularity. Young males complained that they feel inferior since they must serve a two-year military obligation.
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