By John Redmond
Contributing Writer
This Sunday, International Woman's Day (IWD) is being celebrated in Seoul at Cheonggye Plaza, near City Hall, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event is organized by the Korean Women's Association United (KWAU).
International Working Woman's Day is marked on March 8 every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women.
Initially a political event, the event has adopted the cultures of many countries.
In some celebrations, the day lost its political flavour and became simply an occasion for men to express their love to the women around them in a way somewhat similar to Mother's Day and St. Valentine's Day mixed together.
In others, however, the political and human rights theme, as designated by the United Nations, runs strongly, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.
In Korea, the theme this year is ``Women and Men United to End Violence Against Women and Girls."
This theme is particularly important here in Korea, where 40 to 60 percent of married women have been physically abused by their spouse; 9 percent have been beaten badly enough to need medical treatment; the Korean Women's Hot Line revealed that 42 percent of those interviewed had been assaulted more than once weekly; and thousands of women were forced into military sexual slavery during the Japanese occupation of Korea.
The Japanese government still refuses to compensate them, apologize, or even acknowledge them, according to KWAU.
The program includes a Booth program, an opportunity to wander round and find out more information about women's groups and NGOs in Seoul; a commemorative ceremony for IWD featuring performances; and a parade/march.
``If you have any time on Sunday, please come and show your support. It is a great opportunity to learn more about women's NGOs in Seoul and to meet some of those who are working hard to end violence against women and raise the status of women in Korea,'' a KWAU spokesperson said.