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| The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family / Korea Times file |
By Bahk Eun-ji
A debate has surfaced over the role of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which was formed in 2001 to improve gender equality in society and establish and support family policies.
Conservative politicians are talking about abolishing the ministry, which they view has not accomplished much, but rather has caused gender conflicts, while women's rights groups say that such criticism shifts the blame for problems caused by Korea's male-dominant culture to the ministry itself.
This recent debate was ignited, Tuesday, by Yoo Seong-min and Rep. Ha Tae-keung, both presidential hopefuls of the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP).
Yoo posted on social media Tuesday that he would abolish the gender ministry and instead set up a gender equality committee under his direct control, if he becomes president.
He said that the ministry's duties can be fulfilled by other government organizations.
"The gender equality minister job is merely a position given to ruling bloc politicians or aides in their election campaign camp," Yoo said.
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| Yoo Seong-min, a presidential hopeful from the conservative main opposition People Power Party / Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geun |
"Unlike when the ministry was created under the Kim Dae-jung administration in 2001, the Moon Jae-in administration's ministry has encouraged gender conflict rather than moving toward gender equality or harmony," Ha said, adding that he would also set up a presidential gender equality commission.
These pledges by conservative presidential hopefuls are widely seen as a tactic to woo young male voters who claim they are being "mistreated" and "victimized" by feminism.
The tactic can be clearly seen in Yoo's pledge to reallocate the ministry's current budget into providing young men who finish their mandatory military service with scholarships and housing.
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| Rep. Ha Tae-keung of the People Power Party / Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho |
"The gender equality ministry is incapable and unprepared to achieve equality; it just carries out campaigns," Lee said, Tuesday.
In response, the Women's Party released a statement saying that politicians should first abolish misogyny, not the gender equality ministry.
"The total national budget for 2021 is 555.8 trillion won ($491 billion), while the budget allocated to the gender equality ministry is 1.22 trillion won ($1 billion), which is 0.22 percent of the total," said Jang Ji-you, co-chairperson of the Women's Party.
In terms of its annual budget, the gender equality ministry is in such poor shape that it cannot even implement basic policies for women properly. Nevertheless, PPP Chairman Lee Joon-seok claims the ministry has become a 'campaigner,' according to Jang.
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| Lee Jun-seok, chairman of the People Power Party / Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-han |
Korea Women's Political Solidarity, a research institute of gender politics, said in a commentary, "Aiming excessive criticism at the gender equality ministry and at the minister is a low-quality trick to pass on the responsibility for various forms of misconduct and wrongheaded practices made by male politicians."
Regarding the pledge to establish a gender equality committee, the institute said, "Even a presidential committee cannot do anything without sufficient human and material resources. In other words, gender equality policies can only be realized when there is a ministry that can fully take charge of the tasks recommended by the committee."
