2009.12.2  No.15

 

<Emptying and recharging for tomorrow: leadership enhancement training for middle-ranking activists>

 
 

We at the KWWA provided leadership enhancement training for middle-ranking activists entitled ‘Emptying and recharging for tomorrow’ for 3 days between October 29 and 31, 2009 at the Jirisan  Mountain.


Approximately 20 full-time activists who have been working over 2 years had a good chance to reckon on our structure and take a rest for better tomorrow on the title of good rest and introspection.


Above all, we had good talks about life, peace and living in the community with Monk Dobup from the Silsangsa Temple.  There is its thread of connections with our vision, ‘equality, peace~’, helping us to think over and find solutions. more>>

 
 

<Press conference to demand to enact rice aid to North Korea>

 
 

On October 22, 2009, women’s and environmental groups including KWWA, KWAU, Women Corea, and Korea Federation for Environmental Movement held a press conference to demand the government to “enact rice aid for North Korea in order to tackle the decreasing rice price,” in front of the Ministry of Unification.

Women farmers shaved their heads to demand the government to guarantee the price of rice and also went on a sit-in strike in front of the National Assembly. A woman farmer pleaded for supports to Korean farmers, saying “Many people ignored us when we tried to distribute our leaflets.  People think it is only Korean farmers’ matter, but at last it will be all ours.”

Women’s organizations and environmental groups demanded the government to ensure constant rice farming to Korean farmers, since rice related issues are matters on our sovereignty and all of our matters. They pointed out the needs to resume rice aids to North Korea and further, the prompt enactment of the aids. more>>

 
 

<National womens day of action for decreasing the budget on 4 major river restoration and increasing livelihood-and-welfare related budgets>

 
 

On past October 17, we gathered for ‘National women’s day of action for decreasing the budget for 4 major river restoration and increasing livelihood-and-welfare related budgets’ in Seoul.


We, full-time workers and members from women’s organizations in the Seoul Metropolitan area got together and publicized our demands on decreasing the budget on 4 major river restoration and increasing budgets on public livelihoods and welfares, dressed up cutely with various tools including hand pickets.


We started the rally, tapping djembe, African drums and shouting ‘Stop deducing taxes of the rich’ and ‘Stop the 4 major river restoration project.’  Although our tapping was not so excellent, our rhythmic sounds from the djembe made us joyous.


The opening speech made by Jeong Moon-Ja, chairperson of KWWA was followed by the comments entitled “Women have talks about budgets for 2010.” A reserve teacher who is employed as a temporary teacher denounced governmental policies and budget on women’s jobs: she complained about poor working conditions of temporary administrative workers working at schools because schools do not give proper tasks and positions to them; and she also revealed the sad reality that the government has continued to employ only temporary (4 month-fixed) teachers instead of regular teachers although the number of regular teachers is in great shortage. In addition, a university student let us know her agonies caused by her high university tuition fees and unemployment rates among the young. President of the Pucheon branch of the NCHM also insisted on the application of 4 social insurances so as to provide job security for care workers. more>>

 
 

                      <Forum: Increasing care jobs, but hidden sexual harassment >

 
 


On October 13, 2009, a forum entitled ‘Increasing care jobs, but hidden sexual harassment’ was hosted. There are increasing social demands on care jobs, and also women are concentrated in this sector.  The KWWA did research on sexual harassment against care workers as a mean of encouraging care workers to obtain their rights to work. We at the KWWA shared pains and difficulties of sexual harassment victims in practice and urged the government to prepare for sexual harassment prevention polices and legal solutions through the forum.


The presentation on sexual harassment against care workers was followed by discussion by a researcher, women workers in the workplaces, and officers from the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, and after that, very active and dynamic discussions were carried out amongst the audience.  A variety of good ideas came out to share tough situations of care workers and to prevent and regulate practical measures on sexual harassment. The forum was assessed as a good chance to share seriousness of sexual harassment against care workers and to discuss active solutions by many local care work-related groups. more>>

 

Posted by KWWA
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