| kwwa |
2002-10-28 14:51:36, 조회 : 65 |
PROJECT REPORT
Survival Strategy, Social Support Network, Organizational Capacity Building: In Action Agenda for National, Regional & International Women's Unemployment
Host Organization: Korean Women Workers Associations United
Duration of the project: January 1999 - July 1999
I. The background of the project and its achievement
Since IMF Relief Fund in November 1997, the Korean society has suffered from a serious unemployment problem. The situation of women workers' unemployment has been getting serious however, their situation has not been exposed. Therefore Korean Women Workers Associations United(KWWAU) initiated to establish the Action Center for Women's Unemployment(ACWU). KWWAU with local associations set up the ACWU on June 9, 1998 in order to expose the seriousness of women workers' unemployment to our society and to urge the government to provide the proper countermeasures. The ACWU has actively implemented counseling, education & training, assistant activities for daily living and medical cares, organizing activities, making policies, research & study activities, promotion activities of the countermeasures for the women's unemployment, campaigns, etc.
These activities have born the following achievements;
1) To bring up the women's unemployment to a social issue
2) To consolidate the capacity of encountering the government in regards to the countermeasures for the women's unemployment problem
3) To give practical and concrete helps to the unemployed women through counseling and assistant activities
At the moment ACWU operates in KWWAU an eight local associations of Seoul, Inchon, Masan & Changwon, North Cholla, Puchon, and Pusan.
II. Main activities and accomplishments
II.1. Conduction of the campaign for the employment security of women workers and the countermeasure for the women's unemployment
The campaign for the employment security of women workers and the countermeasure for the women's unemployment has been conducted in every local area. In the case of Masan & Changwon and Pusan, the campaign has been organized every month. The campaign has been led by the unemployed women workers demanding for the proper countermeasure on the unemployment. The campaign has been propagandized through mass media and various methods of banners, picketing, pamphlets, etc. were used. The Aansan association and Puchon association participated in other local programs and they conducted campaigns there.
II.2. Movement of applying for jobs and activity of bringing up the women's unemployment problem as a social issue
◈ Movement of applying for jobs
We tried to encourage our clients of the Equal Rights Counseling Center(ERCC) to apply for jobs and made a list of applicants. The list has been submitted in the relevant office of the Ministry of Labor. Most of the unemployed women workers were engaged in the irregular work and in small and poor companies, and they did not apply for gaining jobs. The movement of applying for jobs was conducted with the purpose of exposing the factual reality of women workers' unemployment. The official statistics failed to include the majority of unemployed women workers in its numerical evaluation. We found that a number of women did not know that they could apply for gaining jobs. Gradual applications of unemployed women have shown the change of their awareness.
◈ Bringing up the problem of women family heads to a social issue
The women family heads, who have lost their jobs, are suffering most, and the KWWAU took this issue in order to propagandize the issue and to urge for the countermeasure. As a result, the government has provided a vocational program for the unemployed women family heads and assisting program for them to start a new business.
II.3. Policy making and research & study project
◈ KWWAU has participated in various discussions and seminars in order to promote the women unemployment issue, collected the problems of women unemployment through the counseling and made proposals, and improved the situations and published a book on information & activities of action center for women's unemployment. There are a lot of information which it will be needed for some one would like to have information for job seeking and center who wanted to work on unemployment issues. Published 5 hundred copies and we received many feel back from the organization on how it has useful for their on going work.
◈ Monitoring the agencies of public labor arrangement
We conducted a research about the agencies of public labor arrangement in central, Inchon, Kwangju, and Pusan and also monitored their situation of management on the unemployed women workers. We also had a round table discussions in KWWAU and three areas of Inchon, Kwangju, and Pusan based on the result of the research and the proposal has been submitted to the government. And published a booklet 500 copies and contributed to organization works on unemployment issues their information.
◈ Research on the women family heads
- Seoul Women Workers Association: 150 cases in Guro district and places near by were selected for the research on the situation of employment and living condition and the report was published.
- KWWAU & 7 local associations: took in part in "Research on the attitude towards living life of the unemployed women family heads with low income"
- North Cholla Association: conducted a research on the living situation and the job gaining activities, and held a round table meeting for the countermeasure plans for the women's unemployment situation of North Cholla.
- Masan & Changwon Association: conducted a research on the employment problem in the Free Export Zone and studied on the seriousness of the worsening working situation and the thoughts of the workers in the Free Export Zone towards unemployment.
II.4. Counseling
◈ Counseling on the job arrangement
Counseling on job arrangement, providing informations; vocational training courses of the Ministry of Labor, vocational training course for the women family heads, public labor, etc., and counseling on living life were implemented. KWWAU with 8 local associations of Seoul, Inchon, Masan, Kwangju, Ansan, Chonbok, Puchon, and Pusan provided the format to analyse the counseling on gaining jobs, and we analysed the situation of job gaining every month. KWWAU implemented the counseling and job arrangement through the "Network for the working women" which is a computer network.
◈ Group Counseling
KWWAU, Seoul association, Inchon association, and Puchon association conducted the group counseling for the unemployed women workers once or twice a month. The contents of the group counseling are a test on the interest of own job, test on characteristics, sharing of life story, examining present situation of oneself, controling angers due to losing jobs, understanding on complications, and counseling on the future planning. The group counseling helped the unemployed women workers, who were suffering from mental stress due to long term unemployment reality, to get relaxed from the mental stress, to share their difficulties, to be encouraged to plan for the future, and to get comforted through their sharings. Trough the program, the unemployed women workers could build up the base to understand and help each other. The group counseling is about 12-20 women in one group and counselor makes them to share their own problems each one and discuss how to serve the problem.
II.5. Education
◈ Meeting Day for the job seeker; Meeting Day for the unemployed women workers
Through the monthly group counseling about 3,000 women workers in nation-wide participated and they decided to have the Meeting Day. In the meeting day, various necessary informations for the unemployed women workers were offered; the present situation and future task of the unemployed women workers, informations on the vocational training courses, introduction on the application and categories of the public labor, informations on the medical service for the unemployed women workers, informations on the temporary livelihood protection program, introduction on the Action Center for Women's Unemployed, etc.
◈ Lecture on re-employment for the unemployed women workers
KWWAU and 6 associations of Pusan, Inchon, Ansan, Kwangju, North Cholla, and Masan & Changwon conducted the lecture every month.All together 60 lectures were held and over two thousands women workers participated. In order to help their re-employment, various lectures were prepared; present situation of women's employment and the relevant government's policies, the attitude of overcoming the unemployment, the formation of the network for seeking jobs, recent recruit informations, the practice of interviews, prospective women's jobs and planning for the future job, special lecture on the prospective vocations in the 21C, informations on various licenses and certifications, vocational test, characteristic test, own planning for the future vocation, life and reality of women workers, Yoga, relevant audio-visual programs, etc. The Action Center for Women's Unemployed has constantly conducted the education program for giving informations and preparing for employment since its establishment.
◈ Training for counselors
All the counselors working in local associations went through the training program for the improvement of their capacities. Masan (about 30 participants) and Inchon (45 participants) associations held a training course for fostering counselors.
◈ Free education programs
KWWAU conducted "Workshop for developing creation" for eight weeks particularly for the single women job seekers and 30 women participated. Puchon association conducted counselors of vocational counseling and 60 counselors participated.
◈ National Camp for the unemployed women
National camp was held for 130 participants in order to share their life difficulties and to seek for the ways to overcome their difficulties. Through diverse life stories, the participants could understand their common difficulties. They could develop wills to get through their difficulties with more active attitudes.
II.6. Technical training
Four associations of Seoul, Pusan, Puchon, and Ansan conducted technical training programs for the unemployed women workers. From October 1998 - June 1999 at present, 27 training courses in total have been conducted and 1,021 women workers have been in the courses. The technical training course widened the possibility of seeking jobs for the unemployed women workers.
The training course is composed of needlework training, hair dresser course, opening a new food store course, telemarketing course, nursing after childbirth course, professional assistant course for needlework, repairing clothes, and facilitating reading class, etc.
II.7. Organizing activities
◈ Women Mutual Aids for Overcoming Unemployment(WMAOU)
The women family heads as a center, the WMAOU has been organized and operating autonomously. They have implemented various activities of publishing newsletter, group counseling, farewell party of the year, etc. The establishment of WMAOU has helped the unemployed women to overcome their feeling of isolation and to develop mutual supports for each other.
◈ Small group activities
Various small groups for assistant teachers for the after school program, those who are engaged in the service businesses, sing along group, climbers, etc. have been organized and they have managed to operate their own meeting. The small group meetings have helped them to get strengthened through their sharings and subsequent fellowship.
◈ The program for the unemployed women for getting strengthened
Various programs for giving strength to the unemployed women have been organized; "Sharing love with neighbors through helping the unemployed women family heads", "Grand Madang* for helping women family heads", "The month for the family with the unemployed women family heads", etc. Those programs encouraged the unemployed women family heads, particularly those who have been under the unemployed situation for a long time, to stand firmly to get through their realities.Particularly the participation of their family members provided a venue to understand each other.
* Madang: It is a Korean term for a front yard. In Korea, the front yard has been the place for various house works and for various family ceremonies of wedding, funeral, birthday parties, etc. It is also used for the venue to start for many new things. We welcome visitors in Madang and see them off in Madang. Madang is a term for the Koreans to recall many memories.
◈ Organizing volunteer services
In every local areas, organized students and residents of the area for volunteering to help counseling, preparing for various programs, and researches. The participations of many people provided a chance for them to understand the sufferings of the unemployment.
II.8. Medical assistance
◈ Issuing the medical counseling cards
It is a program for the unemployed women family heads and their children under 18 years old through discounting the medical costs. KWWAU and 8 local associations participated in this project and over 600 medical facilities all over the country participated in the project. It has been very helpful for the women family heads and their children, who were suffering from financial difficulties. It gave them very practical helps.
◈ Free health check
The free health check has been launched for those unemployed women family heads, who cannot offer to go to a hospital. The total number of the women family heads, who received the free health check was 220. We could realize the situation that the health condition of the unemployed women is very serious and confirm the importance of the medical service project.
II.9. Living assisting project
◈ Establishment of family-hood movement for helping the unemployed family movement
With the support from the Peoples' Movement Committee for Overcoming Unemployment(실업극복국민운동위원회), KWWAU and eight local associations of Seoul, Masan & Changwon, Pusan, Inchon, Ansan, Puchon, North Cholla, and Kwangju participated in the movement. The unemployed women family heads were given gift certificate with the worth of W100,000 in the first campaign and they received the cash or gift certificate with the worth of W150,000 in the second campaign. 1,872 women in total were supported. This movement gave more practical helps to the unemployed women and helped general people to have better understanding on the situation of the unemployed family.
◈ Running *Shim Teo and emergent aid for unemployed women
As a model, a Shim Teo has been run by Inchon association and Pusan association for the unemployed women. The Shim Teo provided lunch for the clients and 20Kg of rice was offered for the low income unemployed women amongst the clients. The clients of the Shim Teo could have counseling for their living and job arrangement and watch on video tapes in relation to the women issue.
* Shim Teo; It is a Korean term meaning rest place.
◈ Running after school program for the children of unemployed women
Pusan Association has run the after school program for the children of unemployed women. Their children have been out of care after school. The program provided proper cares for the low income family's kids in order to help their mothers to seek for new jobs and to participate in the necessary program without worrying about their children. At the moment 470 women are participating in the program.
II.10. Creation of jobs and self-reliance program
◈ Part-time job class
Seoul Association has run a class for the part time job particularly for the needlework program from September of 1998. At the moment the class is participated by 10 regular participants and 15 irregular participants.
◈ Total helper program
Puchon Association has provided a program for those who have gone through the vocational training course by the Ministry of Labor particularly for the unemployed women family heads. About ten women have participated in the program. They have worked for raising funds through promotion work and, at the same time, they are working as a total helper in nursing the patients, baby-sitting, and helping housework. The program has been provided particularly for those women who are over 40 years old, and cannot find new job easily. The program helped the unemployed women, who are having difficulties to get a new job, to get new work.
II.11. Promotion work
We have constantly worked for the promotion through local newsletter, TV and radio broadcastings, etc. Inchon association has produced a video tape with the theme of "Insecure situation and future task of women employment", "Women's unemployment and their suffering struggle", and "Unemployment, making hopes" Their video tapes were shown through various lectures and programs.
II.12. Information project
◈ Developing the DB program for the job seekers, distribution and education
In order to take care of job seekers and workers seekers, the proper management is necessary. The DB program has been developed for more effective management. The DB program was made based on the MS ACCESS for two months. The program has eased the management of job seekers and there was a training for operating the DB program.
◈ Opening the "Working Women Network" on the business network for the jobarrangement
The "Working Women Network" is composed of information part; informations on the job seekers, counseling cases in insecurity of employment, and the relevant news on jobs and of counseling part; counseling on gaining jobs and Equal Rights Counseling Center's work. The network could make a close approach to the mass.
III. Evaluation on the activities and future task
There was no government countermeasures for the unemployed women workers when the Action Center for Unemployed Women. Since the Action Center for Unemployed Women was set up, we have continued to propose various policies about the women's unemployment, and the government has provided several projects for them such as the expansion of the women's positions in the public labor sector, a special plan for the unemployed women family heads, etc. These have given practical helps to the unemployed women workers.
The Movement of Applying Jobs has actively exposed the problem of women's unemployment in a society. It has achieved a fruitful result which the applicants of civilorganizations were brought to a list of applying jobs even though they did not apply through the government agencies. The lists have been submitted to the relevant government agencies.
We have also succeeded to bring up the problem of the unemployed women family headsas a social issue. We conducted a research on the situation of the unemployed women family heads and grown more concerns on these people. These efforts have contributed for providing the countermeasure plans for them.
The Action Center for Unemployed Women has been identified itself as a leading counseling center for the unemployed women workers through counseling, provision ofnecessary informations, education & training programs, and organizing work. However there are still various limitations for a civil organization to fulfill more effective measures.We urge the government to prepare for the proper countermeasure; maintaining policy forthe maximum employment, countermeasure for the unjust dismissal, eradication of illegal change of the work nature from the regular base to the irregular base, creation of more works, etc.
In terms of the job arrangement, it is hard to connect the unemployed women to concrete jobs due to the limit of age, educational background, discrimination for the married women, etc.It is demanded to set up a system in charge of women work-power in order to take care of women work-power through existing job arrangement government agencies. The role of the government agencies should be consolidated and get supports from the civil agencies.
The medical care service, living assistance program, etc. gave practical helps even though they were not for a long term. However, the assistance by a civil organization is very limited for the long term aspect. Therefore more systematic and long termed plan should be provided and the government should provide relevant system for this.
The activities of the Action Center for the Unemployed Women should not end up with a service only but should be developed as the activities of the women workers' movement.For this, the unemployed women themselves should be dare to make a voice for what they want and to look for the ways to accomplish their demands rather than letting the center to speak for them.
IV. Proposals to the government on the policy for the unemployed women
IV.1. All-round countermeasure for the unemployed women should be provided
It is necessary to conduct more qualified research on the women's benefit of thegovernment project for the countermeasure of the unemployment. In the case of women,the condition of labor market, employment structure, and the working condition have not been improved and the insecurity of employment has been escalated. However, their situation has not been exposed in the government statistics. Therefore the research should be implemented based upon the perspective of women for a better result in termsof its quality.
Special assistance system for the women family heads should be constantly offered.
The weakest sector of the unemployed women workers is the family heads. They are really in need of secure and effective countermeasure.
Besides, various countermeasures for the unemployed women workers are in urgent need. In accordance with the planning for the countermeasure for the unemployed women in 1999, we cannot find any plans better than that of 1998 except the special system for the women family heads. Therefore more dynamic and diverse plans should be developed for instance, the project for the creation of works, various vocational training courses, job arrangement, allowance for the unemployed, employment insurance, protection of living rights, etc.
IV.2. Epochal strength of the administration in relation to the women's labor
Due to the restructuring of employees with the purpose of dismissing majority of workers and the insufficiency of administrative capacity, the number of unjust dismissal, unjust work loads, illegal dismissal, and irregularizing women workers are increase. The recent recession of the maternity protection, unpaid wages, unjust working conditions, etc. should be improved through the government's immediate administrative measures.
IV.3. It is very urgent to achieve the basic living rights for those who are under the livelihood protection
The number of the people, who cannot maintain the minimum living condition due to the long period of unemployment, has been increased, and the social security network for these people should be urgently established. In the case of the low income family, they are living in a monthly paying rental flat and are suffering from various chronic disease. Immediate countermeasure for their situation is indispensable. They need to get some financial support for maintaining minimum living life.
IV.4. The public labor project should be changed to the works guaranteeing long termand the school meal and after school programs should be systematically implemented for the unemployed women workers
The problem of too short period of working in the public labor project, frequent changes in labor conditions, the problem of no execution of the Standard Labor Law, etc. should be improved as soon as possible. The government should apply the Standard Labor Law tothe workers working in the public labor project and it should be transferred to longer and secure work nature.
The after school program should be set up and implemented in all the elementary schools.
Hiring 10 assistant teachers in average for a school of about six thousands of elementary schools, over sixty unemployeds can get jobs. We propose to run the after schoolprogram in all the elementary school in order to help the both husband and wife workingfamily, low income family, and the unemployed family heads. Their children can have cares and educations with low fees through the after school program and their parents can concentrate on their jobs or seeking for jobs. Hiring the assistant teachers, a good number of the unemployed with higher education background can be employed.
The school meals system should be implemented in every school. We also propose to hire the unemployed women for the school meals system. The school meals system has verypositive values. First, the number of students is almost stable, and the project can guarantee the continence and security. Second, the project can create more participation of women. Expanding the project unto junior and senior high schools, identifying the project as a self-reliant program for the unemployed women workers, connecting the existing self-reliant communities to the project, the government could achieve a good evaluation in terms of social welfare and creation of women's workplace.
IV.5. Overall strengthening of the women's function in the public job arrangement agencies
We have seen a number of damages in seeking for jobs through private job arrange- ment agencies. The function of the job arrangement should be implemented in the public agencies. At the moment, the most of the public job arrangement agencies have focused on the workers with the age of 20s and 30s in arranging jobs. The public agencies should pay more attentions to the irregular women workers and the women workers working in the small and poor scale of companies. For this, first, they should expand and improve the function of the counseling for the women workers. Second, there should be a special system for managing the women work-power within the agencies.
IV.6. Expansion in the function of the government agencies for the countermeasure of unemployment and more active promotion on the countermeasure programs for the unemployed
The relevant government agencies should improve their functions for more immediate administration and services for the people . In order to level up the effectiveness of the programs for the unemployed, more active promotion is demanded.
IV.7. The protection for the unemployed women through the employment insurance should be expanded
From October 1998, the dimension of the application of employment insurance has expanded to the workplace with one or more workers. The number of joined companies in the employment insurance has been increased. However, there are still many small and medium size companies, whose majority workers are women, with no insurance. We need to prepare for the proper countermeasure for them.
IV.8. New Countermeasure for the unemployed women should be established
Only reason under the name of women, there have been various discriminations in every sector. The illegal employment to discriminate women workers should be punished. The system for giving benefits for the military service period, which has been a chronic obstacle for women, should be abolished. The sexual discrimination in the process of job arrangement in the various job arrangement agencies should be improved and the function of the agencies should be developed and improved. More professional counselors should be fostered and the follow-up program after arranging jobs should be also prepared.
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