(EDITORIAL from the Korea Herald on March 5)

Gender equality

Little improvement has been made in gender equality in Korea over the past few
years, a survey by the Korean Women's Development Institute showed.

The institute developed a gender equality index which covers eight categories -
health, culture and information, education and job training, economic activity,
safety, family affairs, welfare and decision-making. The survey, which covers the
four-year period from 2005 to 2008, shows that little progress has been made
overall toward closing the gender gap in Korea. Over the survey period, the
gender equality index rose a mere 0.01 points, from 0.584 in 2005 to 0.594 in
2008. The score of 0 represents perfect inequality and 1 represents perfect
equality.
The number of women elected to the National Assembly increased to 41 in 2008 from
39 in 2004. The percentage of senior women government officials increased from
8.4 percent in 2005 to 9.6 percent in 2006 and 10 percent in 2007, the ratio that
was maintained in 2008.
In the economic activity category, the gender equality index scored 0.771. The
wage gap between genders remained the same over the four-year survey period.
Women were paid on average 38 percent less than men last year, a gap which is
more than twice that of the OECD average of 18.8 percent. Women's economic
participation remained essentially the same at 50 percent.
Women in the family also experienced significant gender inequality, with the
gender equality score of 0.51. However, it was in the category of decision making
that Korean women were most unequal, with a score of 0.116.
This glaring gender in equality in the realm of decision making is also reflected
in the U.N. Development Program's Gender Empowerment Measure. In 2009, Korea was
ranked 61st among 109 countries in the index that measures gender equality in
economic, political participation and decision making. On the other hand, the
Human Development Index that compiles life expectancy, education and GDP data
ranks Korea in 26th place, placing it in the "very high development" group. The
gap between the Human Development Index and the Gender Empowerment Measure for
Korea is much larger than other countries in the "very high development group."
Norway, for example, which ranked first place in the Human Development Index
ranked second place in the Gender Empowerment Measure.
Without women achieving greater gender equality, a society cannot truly become
advanced. If half of the country's population is lagging behind, it drags down
the country's overall development potential and performance.
Korea is beset with the double trouble of a low birth rate and rapidly aging
society. The number of births in 2009 recorded 445,200, nearly half the number of
births recorded in 1981. Statistics show that women are getting married later,
delaying having children and having fewer children.
Achieving greater gender equality is the key to solving the twin problem of low
birth rate and aging society. Studies show that in advanced industrialized
countries, women who work outside the home have more children than women who do
not. This is largely because of the higher costs of raising children.
However, this pattern does not bear out in Korea where even women with jobs are
not having more children. Gender inequality is the main reason for this
phenomenon. Women face discrimination in the workplace, and without adequate
childcare facilities, women are often held solely responsible for raising
children. Unless these gender equality problems are addressed, the government's
call for women to have more babies will go unanswered.
(END)

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