Gender Equality and Family Values Should Be Respected

President-elect Lee Myung-bak's transition team is formulating a plan for the major realignment of government organizations. A dispute has been simmering over the properness of the possible merging of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family into the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The team has maintained the ministry should be subject to restructuring as part of efforts to slim down the government with many of the ministry's operations overlapping with those of the Welfare Ministry. The ministry has been cited as the first target whenever it comes to government reorganization. In this context, the next government is likely to refer the ministry's affairs ― about women, nurturing and family ― to the Health and Welfare Ministry.

Women's groups have been protesting the move ― seven of them led by the Korean Women's Association United issued a statement saying: ``Only three years have passed since the ministry was born. It is deplorable to see attempts to abolish a nascent ministry before it takes firm root.'' They called on President-elect Lee to abide by his pledge to strengthen the role of the ministry in order to further protect the human rights of women and promote gender equality. As a matter of fact, Lee said during presidential campaign that he would keep the ministry afloat as it has its own unique role. The women organizations urged the need to expand its role with the ministry converging services now separated among various ministries.

The ministry said it has made a great contribution to promoting women's rights through the abolition of the ``outdated'' family registration system called ``hojuje,'' and the introduction of a special law for prevention of the sex trade. It has been pushing new projects with the goal of helping working women.

But the ministry is facing renewed scrutiny due to the criticism that there are no similar ministries in any other countries. Additionally, some experts claim that nurturing and the protection of women can be classified as a welfare policy. They say the current government system is flawed and inefficient as similar welfare policies are dispersed among several ministries.

The transition team has yet to make a final decision over the possible closure of the ministry. It needs to take into consideration that the nation's women still wield less authority though their rights have been greatly improved over recent years. There exists discrimination against women in the workplace and many of them still suffer difficulties in raising children and housekeeping. Regardless of the realignment, the value of gender equality and family should be respected above all.