Reforming Gender Discriminatory Legislation and Practices
kwwa  2002-10-28 15:18:04, 조회 : 407

##   Reforming Gender Discriminatory Legislation and Practices  
  
1.  Consolidating gender discriminatory national and local laws: On May 16, 2000, the 'Plan for Consolidating Gender Discriminatory National and Local laws was established. The aim of the plan is to reform all gender discriminatory laws by 2001.
   
* Compensation for damages stemming from gender discrimination and sexual harassment Related Laws - Gender Discrimination Prevention and Relief Act (enacted in February 1999) - 'Genders Equality Employment Act' (amended in Feb. 1999, including sexual harassment in the workplace)

-> Major contents of related laws
- Provision of relief to victims of gender discrimination in employment, education and the supply of goods/facilities/services, or legal/administrative practices

- Financial assistance for litigation in cases of gender discrimination - Mandatory education on preventing sexual harassment in private businesses and public facilities such as government offices, educational institutions, and medical facilities

- A maximum fine of $3,000 (Sexual Equality Employment Act) ; in case of violation of the procedures for handling the perpetrators of sexual harassment or contravention of the legal obligation to provide mandatory education in preventing sexual harassment

- A maximum fine of $5,000 (Sexual Equality Employment Act) ; in case of injurious actions against victims of sexual harassment


2. Provision of effective counseling and assistance to persons who have faced gender discrimination (including sexual harassment) by the Gender Discrimination Complaint Center, under the Presidential Commission on Women's Affair. Establishment of 20 counseling centers for employment equality within non-governmental women's organizations, or local Labor Offices under the Ministry of Labor.  
Assisting Women's Entreprenevrial Activities
   
*  Facilitating the process for women to establish their own businesses  
-  Provision of start-up spaces and management consulting services for women to start their own businesses in non-manufacturing and service sectors through the Training Center for Women's Business Start-ups in seven areas nationwide: Seoul, Pusan, Taegu, Kwangju, Daejeon, Kyunggi (Suwon) and Kyungnam (Changwon)

- In cases where a low-income female head of household wishes to go into business to ensure the survival of her family, financial assistance for office rent will be provided up to $20,000 at the rate of 4% annual interest.

- Provision of free counseling services in drafting business plans and developing business skill; professional counselors stationed in thirty Support Centers for Small-sized Businessesnationwide

- Arbitration of a 1-on-1 sisterhood for women business founders and current businesswomen is provided  
   
* Provision of diverse forms of preferential treatment for women's businesses  
- Provision of financial assistance of up to $10,000 per case for 200 selected women's enterprises attempting to acquire standard international certifications such as ISO, UL, etc.

- Granting 2~5 extra evaluation points in the selection process of corporations to be supported when applying for policy funds such as the Management Stabilization Fund, the Assistance Fund for Provincial Small and Medium Business, the Restructuring Fund, the Small Business Foundation Fund, or the Management Improvement Fund

* Operation of the Exclusive Assistance Office for Women Businesses (established on October 10, 2000)

- Following consultation of sources such as status quo reports from women's organizations (e.g. the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association), preferential status will be given to women's businesses over other contracted companies

- 3~5 extra points and preferential status will be afforded to women's businesses awarded a contract for private group contract deals

- Assistance in the form of exhibits to promote sales of women's businesses

3. The development women's occupational capabilities and employment assistance  
   
*  Providing more opportunities for women to develop their capabilities and find employment.  
- Provision of vocational training and employment opportunities for women (especially those unable to attend regular employment training due to housework or parenting) obligations through the 47 'Working Women's Homes' nationwide

- Assisting women to find part-time jobs and providing prompt employment information through the 20 Workforce Banks countrywide
   
* Supporting women who are returning to work after pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting, under the Ministry of Labor  
-        Awarding $1,200~$2,000 per female employee to employers proprietors insured by Employment Insurance who employ women that return to work after 3 months to 5 years of absence due to pregnancy, childbirth and parenting
-        Providing a monthly sum of $150~$200 per worker to employers insured by Employment Insurance who hire workers for over 30 days after returning from leave (under Article 11 of the Equal Equality Employment Act)  

*  Increasing assistance offered to inexperienced women university graduates who are seeking employment  
   During employment seasons, the Workforce Banks under the Ministry of Labor will open exclusive channels to assist women university graduates who are seeking looking for employment. This channel will provide newly graduated women with information on employment and vocational training and offer counseling, internships and guidance for other government-funded projects

*  Holding e-business education sessions in 12 universities nationwide for unemployed university graduate women

* Offering industrial site experience programs that provide female university students with a chance to acquire work experience at corporations or public offices, thereby enhancing their ability to find employment  
   
4. Expansion of Domestic Welfare and other Diverse Service for Women:  
  Women working in Agriculture & Fishery sectors can become professionals too

   Setting up Agricultural Management courses for women, both in beginning and advanced levels, as a part of a educational process specially for female agricultural workers

- Training women with experience in the agricultural sector in agricultural management, marketing and information technology - Training women with little experience in the agriculture sector in agricultural policy, work ethics, basic information technology and cases of agricultural settlement

Training in farming and agricultural machine utilization for women

Developing agricultural management programs for women  
   
  Alleviating the concerns of working women who are bring up children  
   Financing a portion of expenses when medium or small-sized enterprises establishing childcare facilities

Giving a subsidy to employers to encourage paternity leave

Deducing up to $1,000 a year per person from his/her earned income as part of special exemption to reduce childcare expenses (including fees for kindergarten) from year 1999

Executing school lunch programs in all elementary schools and having extended to include middle and high schools

Trying the 'Hands for the Farm' program to help female agricultural laborers when they temporarily stop working due to childbirth or other circumstances  
   
  Expanding national support for childcare  
   Expanding childcare expense support for children of low-income families

- Offering free education for children under the age of five from low-income families in the agricultural and fishing districts

Expanding exclusive facilities to care for infants and disabled children

- Expanding the especial childcare facilities to 184 by 2003

Activating after-school childcare utilities

- Providing subsidies for after-school childcare for 4500 children of low-income families

- Beginning to operate private facilities for after-school childcare as a part of a public labor project from September 1998  
    
  Guaranteeing the livelihood of elderly women by pension  
   The amendment of the National Pension Scheme in December 1998 guarantees the livelihood of elderly women

- Admitting the amount of paternity leave taken, which was excluded from the subscribing period for a pension, as valid if the insurance equivalent for the period is paid afterwards

- Allowing one to receive a portion of the ex-spouses pension upon reaching the age of sixty, in proportion to his/her years of marriage when a spouse gets a divorce after five or more years of marriage

- Reducing the minimum years of subscription for pension from 15 to 10 years to protect the pension allowance of subscribers who only participated in the workforce for short time, such as women

- Lowering the insurance premium rate from 9% to 3% to expand the number of voluntary subscribers including full time housewives  
   
  Supporting training for employment and the setting up of new enterprises for unemployed women with families to support

   Financing with state subsidy funds, training expenses of $300~$400 per month per trainee to train one in fields easier for employment and business start ups; such as telemarketing and cosmetology

Supporting the leasing of office space costing within $50,000 (at 7.5% per annum) for unemployed matriarch unable to receive a loan due to difficulty in securing a mortgage guarantee

Granting 1/2 (1/3 in case of large-sized enterprises) of employee's income for the first six months of his/her employment to employers who newly employ matriarchs among unemployed women who have applied for stable jobs at recruitment institutions  
   
  Expanding aid for low-income matriarch families  
   Expanding the subsidization for childcare for children under six and for education fees for middle and high school students

Providing support with the rehabilitation fund and assisting one in renting a house
  Looking after the application of the health of pregnant women and infants  
   Expanding the application of medical insurance coverage to include basic tests such as diagnosis before childbirth, blood tests, and urine tests

Executing health check-ups for pregnant women and infants of low-income families, vaccinating infants and testing newborns for birth defects, thereby preventing the outbreak of mental defects

Supporting the medical fee for premature infants and infants with birth defects of low-income families

5. Guaranteeing the rights of housewives and supporting their social activities  
   
  Decreasing the inheritance tax for a spouse and exempting donation tax for her/him with regard to property accumulated after marriage

   Deducing $5 hundred thousand to 3million from the inheritance tax for a spouse
Exempting donation tax on dividing properties to divorce  
   
 
Women, becoming computer-friendly

   Teaching housewives basic computer and Internet skills through Internet training for one million housewives at computer training private institutions and data processing institutions designated as internet schools for housewives
   
  Increasing institutions of lifelong education for women  
   Setting up an overall database by which information about the state of nationwide social education institutions for women, programs of education, and lecturers can be searched by May 2001
- The number of related institutions is 1,600, including Women halls, Social Welfare Organs, Organizations for Women, and Halls for Domestic Science, and more

Building and operating Women Halls for the purpose of developing women's capabilities and expanding social participation by women
- As of the first half of 2000, there are 99 such halls  

Posted by KWWA
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