[Remarks] There is no gender equality in <5 year job policy roadmap> of Moon Jae In government!!

Last October 18, Moon Jae In government announced <5 year job policy roadmap>. It is an outcome of the government’s prompt action such as announcing forming an employment committee as the first president directive, claiming to be a ‘president for jobs’ and putting job policy as the most priority. At the press release, the government accounts that <5 year job policy roadmap> is ‘to present an action plan over the upcoming 5 years by concretizing job tasks presented in 5 year plan on government affairs, and an policy guideline to establish the direction of job policy in future.’ This newly announced <5 year job policy roadmap> is an indicator to show the philosophy and direction of new government’s labor policy and would influence women thoroughly. Then is the <5 year job policy roadmap> able to get rid of gender discrimination widespread in the labor market? In short, the answer is “No”

 

This roadmap has limitations in establishing policy, by placing woman as a part of target groups to be addressed, not as underlying agenda, and by limiting the way to address woman(gender) issue only to dissolving ‘career break’ caused by pregnancy, delivery, and child rearing.

However, women’s ‘career breaks’ is due to rather gender discrimination in our society than pregnancy/delivery or child rearing. As woman remain still as a main person in charge of care work at home and there is widespread gender discrimination in the labor market, majority of women work as non-standard workers at secondary work. Since the work is something minor they never feel the lack of the work when they quit, it is an occupation at low position with no future nor promotion, and it is paid only as the same as the cost to be paid for child care center, women can’t help but leave labor market voluntarily and involuntarily. Considered the situation of women’ work, it would be not appropriate to regard it as ‘career break’. It is because, noted when we expect the future we would manage our career, the majority of women don’t even have decent work worthy of being managed for career. From this point of view, it should be prioritized to resolve the matter of ‘employment discontinuity’, not of concern on ‘career break’.

 

Women suffer over the labor market due to gender-discriminatory culture which tolerates and aids and abets gender discriminatory employment practice. As a result, women are concentrated on ‘bad job’ with low pay and poor working condition. As far as women are concerned, the key of job problem is ‘gender discrimination’ throughout the whole process from recruitment, placement, promotion, and to retirement. Therefore, it should be prioritized to eliminate discrimination against women through rectifying gender discrimination at employment, not through ‘a target customized policy’.  But the announced <5 year job policy roadmap> doesn’t present any plan on this. It is irony that there is no gender equality on policy of government that the president promises to be a feminist. The government must establish gender equality labor policy based on gender equal philosophy!!!

 

2017. 10. 23

 

Korean Women Workers Association