Women in South Korea
A woman in Seoul, South Korea, 2007.
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| Gender Inequality Index | |
|---|---|
| Value | 0.153 (2012) |
| Rank | 27th |
| Maternal mortality (per 100,000) | 16 (2010) |
| Women in parliament | 17% (2016) |
| Females over 25 with secondary education | 79.4% (2010) |
| Women in labour force | 57.9% employment rate (2015) |
| Global Gender Gap Index | |
| Value | 0.6351 (2013) |
| Rank | 111th out of 144 |
Women in South Korea have experienced great social change in recent years following the miracle on the Han River. The elevation in social status of women has significantly improved over the last 30 years due to the modernization of society today compared with olden Korea that was deeply rooted in the teachings of Confucius. Today, the social status of women has become practically equal to men’s in social sectors such as legal rights, education, and health. There are however still major inequalities in workforce and political participation.
There are still stereotypes surrounding Korean women. Example of such stereotypes consists of the following, having the ability to cook, being obedient to their husband and that giving birth is a duty to be fulfilled.
In traditional Korean society, women's roles have historically been confined to the home. From a young age, women were taught the virtues of subordination and endurance to prepare for their future roles as wife and mother. Women, in general, could not participate in society as men did but, were, instead, expected to support their husband.
During the era under the colonial administration of imperial Japan, Korea women (almost Up to 200,000) were sent to work as comfort women in Japan's military brothels. Until the end of World War II, Korea was under Japanese occupation.
After becoming independent from Japan, the Republic of Korea was established as a liberal democracy. Women who pursued education, work, and public life could now achieve constitutional rights for equal opportunities. For example, several schools were founded for the education of women. Women educated from these schools began to engage in the arts, teaching, economic activities, and engaging other women in discussion of gender equality. The percentage of women has steadily increased in professional fields which has resulted in significant contributions to society, especially in terms of increasing GDP. As they took a larger role in economic activities, the educational level of women also increased, providing additional opportunities for professionalization. Today, Korean women receive high levels of education and actively participate in a wide variety of fields, including education, medicine, engineering, scholarship, the arts, law, literature, and sports. Women's participation in social and economic culture is expected to continue to grow and diversify after the election of South Korea's first female president, Park Geun-Hye. This is partially due to Park Geun-Hye's promise to promote a “women’s revolution” and provide support for child care, increased opportunities for promotion, and salary equality. Furthermore, Park Geun-Hye also promised to make other advances for women, including: increase the representation of women, to facilitate women’s employment and provide support for female workers, to increase educational opportunities for women to be competitive in the labor market, to provide social welfare policies for women, to promote women’s involvement in various social activities. However, not all of these policies have manifested.
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