<Press conference by women’s and the women’s circle against reducing the National Human Rights Commission of Korea>

<Press conference by women’s and the women’s circle against reducing the National Human Rights Commission of Korea> 

Our demands:
- Immediately withdraw the policy to reduce the National Human Rights Commission of Korea which is a disgrace in the international community.
- The Lee Myeong Bak government should stop the attempt to weaken the independence of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea immediately.
-  The Lee Myeong Bak authorities should bolster human rights for the social weaker and women.

On March 25, 2009, Korean women’s organizations and women’s circle held a press conference against the reduction of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea at the back gate of the Integrated Government Building.

The Lee Myeong Bak authorities announced to reduce the structure of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea by 21% within March.  Since the commission has worked hard to improve human rights for women, the social weaker and minorities and ordinary people, the reduction means the proclamation to downgrade human rights to a less developed country.

According to statistics by the UNDP, the level of Korean women’s status dropped from 64 amongst 108 countries in 2007 to 68 in 2008. The human right report written by the U.S. Department of State said that Korean women still experienced social discrimination and sex crimes, domestic violence and trafficking of women are severe, and moreover women are exposed to sex harassment and discrimination in terms of employment, income and promotion.  Nevertheless, gender discrimination and sex harassment were transferred to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea from the Ministry of Women, and what is worse, the merger and abolition of the activities will cause the reduction.

In addition, in the poor situation of the Korean society in which the violation of human rights by the public power comprises more than 80% of the whole violation cases, political independence of the government is very essential for the existence of the commission. However, the revision of office regulations and operation and management of employees will substantially violate the independence of the commission.

Accordingly, human right organizations and groups of disabled people resolved to take action against the shrinking of the commission, and further we, the Korean women’s circle also speak up in one voice against the reduction.

First, speeches were made by Choi Young-ae, previous standing committee member of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, Han Kuk-yeom, chairperson of Women Migrants Humanrights Center, Nam-Yoon Insoon, co-chairperson of the KWAU. Then, after Won Min-kyung, president of the women’s human right committee of Minbyun-Lawyers for a Democratic Society and Yoon Soo-kyung, co-chairperson of Women Making Peace read out the press conference declaration, a performance titled ‘Roses of human rights on Wednesdays’ was carried out in which various groups of women who had joined the press conference took part  together.