Gov't to expand support for childcare

The government said Friday it will push to increase the number of public day care centers and expand support for female non-regular workers as part of efforts to relieve women's burden for childcare and strengthen their social status.

Setting priorities on the eradication of gender inequality and balance between work and family roles, the government put forth the five-year policy blueprint for women set to be launched next year.

Under the envisioned plan, more public day care centers will be established to have them account for 30 percent of the total so as to reduce working mothers' burden for childcare. Currently, public nurseries take up 10.5 percent of the total.

In an aim to strengthen women's economic capabilities, the government will expand aid to non-regular female workers in their childbirth and childcare, and support cooperatives that provide women with diverse welfare services.

Nursery facilities will also be set up at college campuses to guarantee students' maternity rights, according to the government.

To support female victims of violence, the government decided to set up more centers for sexual and domestic violence victims across the country, and to push to expedite legal procedures of such cases.

The government also vowed to advise public firms and government agencies to appoint at least one woman to their senior position. Currently, women take up 3.7 percent of the senior executive services, being higher than grade 3, in the country's public agencies, with 52.5 percent of those agencies not having a single female in a high position. Korea's officialdom is classified into nine grades, with grade 1 being the highest.

"Now is time to further develop the country's policy measures over gender equality to help women play a central role for the country's economic and social development and the future," Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik said, while presiding over the meeting. (Yonhap)