Focus

Sketch from Korea Women Workers' Rally

Working Life, Determined Life

Mi Sook Kim, Educational Researcher in Puchon WWA

Plancards in one hand and the hands of their children in the other, the women workers gathered, full of excitement. What had brought them here? What had compelled them to get up at dawn, wake up their little children and travel such a long way to this place?


 The answer is the KWWAU Rally, attended by our senior members, former political prisoners, young female university students, and the women workers carrying their little children.
  The first program invited all the participants to share their greetings. Each unit gave a performance - amateur perhaps, but warmly welcomed by the other participants. A video presentation on "The history of the Women Workers' movement in the 20th Century" followed. The suffering struggle of women workers during the Japanese colonial period reflected the present-day reality. Has there been historical development? I was very confused. What will be the reality facing the women workers in tens of years' time? What shall we do?

Even though we shall ourselves disappear into history, we may be proud of ourselves, for struggling and confronting these social contradictions.
  Through the cultural session, we understood that all the stories are related to our reality. The establishment of the "Action center for Restoring Irregular Women Workers' Rights" organization and the declaration of our resolution gave shape to our future direction.
  On the way home, we shared personal reflections on our participation in the rally. One felt something very warm and hot deep in her heart, one felt that she had just got up from a long winter sleep with new hope, one vowed to her deep commitment.We confirmed our fellowship and solidarity through sharing these words.  
  People say that the economic situation is getting better. About 44% of corporations are planning to recruit new employees and the reasons for that are "replacing the dismissed labor force" and "business expansion with the economic

 recovery". However the economic crisis has resulted in a widening gap between the rich and poor,




Korea Working Women's Network 2000

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