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South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook attends an event speaking out against discrimination against single-parent homes in Seoul on May 10. (provided by MOGEF)
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Amendment of Framework Act on Healthy Homes to support broader range of family types
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) is planning a full-scale amendment of the Framework Act on Healthy Homes to introduce policy measures to include common law marriage in the category of families and support a broader range of family types. Institutional improvements are to be implemented to prevent the labeling of children as being “born outside of wedlock” on their birth registration. The ministry is also pushing for a senior management promotion target system for women through agreements with companies to increase women’s representation in private businesses. As of 2017, women accounted for only 3% of the executive position level at South Korea’s top 500 ranked companies according to sales. The new measures were included in a 2019 operational plan reported to President Moon Jae-in by MOGEF on Dec. 20 at the Central Government Complex annex in Seoul. The key focus in the planned family policies is diversity. To start with, MOGEF plans a full-scale amendment of the Framework Act on Healthy Homes to extend the category of “family” to include common law marriages as well as traditional marriages, blood relations, and adoptive relations. The ministry plans to base its discussions on an amendment plan for the act sponsored on Dec. 7 by Democratic Party lawmaker Nam In-soon. If the plan does pass, a legal basis will be established for extending family education and counseling services along with child care and other child-raising support services by state and local governments to individuals in common law marriages. MOGEF further plans to hold deliberations with the Ministry of Justice on amending the Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationship to improve the current system mandating that children born out of wedlock be indicated as such on their birth registration. Education is also to be provided to improve attitudes toward multicultural and single-parent families. “We are working toward an approach of democratic and equitable family relationships without discrimination based on family type,” a MOGEF official said. To reduce the child care burden on parents, expansions are planned in the categories eligible for child care service support and the amount of child care support funds paid to unmarried and single-parent families, with a management system for real-time requests and waiting lists to be established for child care services. Improving sexist attitudes representation of women in workplace Other areas of focus for next year include improving sexist attitudes and laying the groundwork for a gender-equal society. MOGEF plans to develop various incentives to encourage private businesses to voluntarily improve the representation of women in their ranks. As part of this, it is working to reflect the representation of women as a category in its standards for large-scale public fund investment by the National Pension, among others, and include the percentage of women in senior management positions as a review standard for “family-friendly business” certification. The number of “Saeil (New Job) Centers” for women returning to the workforce after raising children is to be increased from 15 to 30 as of next year to expand services for the prevention of women’s career interruption due to childbirth and groom women as potential senior managers. Measures to combat sexual harassment and violence are also to be intensified. Increased linkages are planned between support centers for victims of digital sex crimes and related institutions including the National Police Agency and Korea Communications Standards Commission, with wait times to be reduced for video removal support services and the inclusion of new “hidden camera” and “cyber sexual bullying” categories as eligible for support. Combatting sex crimes and digital trafficking A more forceful response is further planned for online sex trafficking involving adolescents, with measures including the designation of “random chat” apps as harmful to young people. Other efforts include promoting education on gender equality and human rights in schools and forming a suitable environment for gender equality education with the operation of “gender equality academies” for local residents and businesses. Additionally, MOGEF plans to improve the local community safety net to identify and help endangered young people, and to work with relevant agencies to develop autonomous regulation guidelines for businesses in response to online video services deemed harmful to young people, including ones showing suicide and violence. Support for young people from multicultural or migrant backgrounds is also to be increased. An occupational training program (the Naeil Irum School) is to be introduced for young people immigrating as part of multicultural families, with psychological and emotional counseling services to be provided. Another goal involves the identification and development of customized programs for so-called “NEETs” between the ages of 20 to 24 who are not enrolled in school or employed. For surviving victims of the Japanese military’s system of sexual slavery (comfort women), the ministry plans to increase livelihood support funds and collect and analyze related materials to develop an archive. “We will be carrying on research and commemoration projects to uphold the reputation and dignity of the elderly survivors, and proceed without delay in follow-up measures in the wake of the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation’s disbandment,” a MOGEF official said. In her operational report, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Jin Sun-mi stressed, “It is important to alleviate the culture of gender discrimination in South Korean society and improve responsiveness to violence against women to create an environment where they can feel confident in their safety.” “We will also be expanding support to single-parent and multicultural families and others experiencing difficulties, and MOGEF will join in creating an inclusive society where equality is part of daily life by improving related laws and institutions so that family diversity is respected,” she added. By Park Da-hae, staff reporter Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
