“Single Parent Families Fly High with the Wing of Hope”

On November 24, 2007 about 100 women single parents and people involved in our project joined a heartwarming briefing on the single parent family care service support project. Reports of processes and activities undertaken for 9 months were made. 78 out of 164 were found to be employed and receive vocational training. We were all pleased at our care receivers' high satisfaction levels, as 99 answered they were psychologically stable since good care of their children were taken and 127 were satisfied because women single parents are become less pressed for time.

Followed were presentations about how 28 year-old woman single parent and another who became a single parent when studying abroad and are now living with her two children had been looked after and changed, by our activists in charge of the project in Ansan and Seoul. Additionally, Soon-Im Lee, a care mother dispatched to houses, belonging to the Suwon Women’s Association briefed about her sentiments and advantages of the project felt during the period of her looking after children, and also expressed her gratitude for giving her a chance to participate in the good project. We were all very touched.

Then, when told was serious suffering about Cho Ee-Han  who have been receiving care from Buchon Women Workers Association, whose husband died of stomach cancer and whose daughter are suffering from the Moyamoya disease, and who had to find another wing of hope since this service project would be stopped in February 2008, participants dropped their tears.

The heartrending story encouraged us to make and present single parents’ 5 wishes, as fundamental solutions (1. Realize social incorporation through supporting single parent families 2. Increase job opportunities through providing practical and substantial vocational training for single parents 3. Prevent poverty through assisting and increasing self-independence of single parents 4. Ensure the right to health through giving medical assistance to single parents 5. Increase standards of living and life satisfaction through improving residential environments). For entertainment songs and dances were presented, well-prepared by our regional organizations. The briefing and its subsequent events were fun, providing touches of humanities and inspiring all of us.

‘Rice represents public sentiments’: the performance of a dish made with all five grains was given

On both November 14^th and 15^th 2007, the Korean Women’s Associations United (KWWA) organized to presidential candidates, 60 policy tasks presenting ceremonies, under the title of ‘Rice represents public sentiments.’

Almost throughout this year, KWWA had discussed and formulated agendas with its 6 branch organizations and 29 member organizations. Under the slogan ‘Let’s work together and take care together,’ selected are as 4 key tasks, tCreating good jobs through expanding public-spirited social services tincreasing supports for encouraging single parent families’ independence texpanding child care and support after school, and tinstituting gender-sensitive education on peace and human rights.

KWWA presented the selected 60 policy tasks to each presidential candidate through the performance of a dish made with all five grains (rice, millet, beans, wheat, and barnyard millet) entitled ‘Rice represents public sentiments.’ The first policy tasks presenting ceremony were prepared for Moon Kuk-hyun, Creative Korea Party’s presidential candidate on November 14^th 2007, and Jung Dong-young, United Democratic Party’s candidate and Kwon Young Gil, Democratic Labor Party’s candidate on November 15^th 2007, respectively.

Rice symbolizing public sentiment and a dish made with all five grains symbolizing longevity, health, prosperity of offspring, and abundant livelihood stand for good jobs and various social support systems. At the same time when KWWA conveyed the 60 policy tasks along with the dish made with all five grains, the candidates promised to KWWA that good care of the livelihood of the people, women, and economy for the masses should be taken like warm rice in the era of socioeconomic polarization.

On November 14^th 2007, at the ceremony KWWA’s policy tasks were given to Moon Kuk-hyun, Creative Korea Party’s presidential candidate. He stressed “About 60 trillion Won are created as black money and slush funds from the industry of civil engineering and construction. Out of the back money, if only 20 trillion Won are used for child care and welfare for children Korea can be a World’ top welfare country as livable as European countries.” Additionally, a Creative Korea Party’s policy kit for women ‘Women are hope’ was given to KWWA at the ceremony.

On November 15^th 2007, many congresswomen working in the election preparation committee for the gender equality attended the ceremony organized for Jung Dong-young, United Democratic Party’s candidate. Namhee Park, chairperson of the Korean Women's Trade Union (KWTU) underlined the importance of good jobs for women, mentioning “70% of Korean working women are irregular workers,” when giving the agendas to the candidate. Jang Myung-sook, a chairperson of the Differently Abled Women United claimed “The average academic attainment of disabled women is elementary school graduation. Policies for poor women should vary by life circle.” Jung Dong-young gave his opinion on women’s policies saying “The amount of 9 trillion Won from the budget is needed if the government takes social responsibility for pregnancy, child delivery, and childcare. My fundamental principal is to back up investment on people. The essence of the investment on people is that the state should take care of pregnancy, child delivery, and childcare.”

Additionally, on November 15^th 2007, at the ceremony KWWA’s policy tasks were presented to Kwon  Young Gil , Democratic Labor Party’s candidate. Meehyuk Kwon, a co-chairperson of the Korean Womenlink emphasized “I hope the agendas for women will not be given in to other tasks. I hope the agendas for women can be realized.”

Participants in the ceremonies had a heart-stirring time on the two days in a row, awakening the importance of policies for women to the presidential candidates. The candidates also showed their wills to reflect and implement the policy tasks developed by KWWA.

However, although KWWA asked for his arrangement several times, Lee Myoung Bak, Grand National Party’s presidential candidate did not set up a schedule for KWWA’s policy tasks-presenting ceremony.

Written by Han-Whang  Joo Yeon , KWWA

On November 14, 2007, 101 nationwide human rights, women and religious NGOs including Korean Women Workers Association (KWWA) and Korean Women’s Associations United (KWAU) met the press in front of the Chung Wa Dae (the Presidential Residence), in order to call for the appropriate enactment of a Discrimination Prevention Act.

A press conference was called to denounce the reduction in the scopes of discrimination stipulated by the bill although it was already discussed at a public hearing, and to enact an appropriate act during the tenure of this president.

Initially, it was stipulated in the Discrimination Prevention Act that ‘treatments and actions of segregating, differentiating, restricting, excluding or disadvantaging an individual or a group in excuse of marriage, pregnancy or childbirth, type of family, religion, ideology or political view, criminal records, custody, sexual orientation, educational background, social status, and physical conditions including sex, disability, age, nationality, ethnicity, race, skin color, native place, appearance without any reasonable reason’ are classified into scopes of discrimination, and the Law Ministry made its preliminary announcement from October 2^nd 2007. Nevertheless, the articles regarding ‘sexual orientation, educational background and military record, nationality, language, criminal records, type of family and family condition’ were removed, when the bill was submitted to the Regulatory Reform Committee after the period of the public preliminary notification.

At the press conference, a statement was made by Nam-Yoon Insoon. Followed were denouncements by Park-Kim Younghee (activist of Solidarity against Disability Discrimination),  Kim  Jungbum (a chairperson of Association of Physicians for Humanism and Korean Federation of Medical Groups of Health Rights), Cho Heejoo (from Progressive Education Network), clergywoman Lee  Moonsook (secretary general of Korea Church Women United), Jang  Seo-yon (lawyer from Gong-Gam, a public interest lawyers’ group) who denounced the problematic reduction in the scopes of discrimination. After that, performances were carried out to call for the enactment of an appropriate discrimination prevention act as a means of realizing an ‘equal society,’ and a press release was read. Participating organizations discussed future actions and planned to take a variety of actions to enact the appropriate discrimination prevention bill.

Written by Park-Cha Okkyung, KWAU

Press Release

National Women’s Rally was held on November 11, 2007.

Unfortunately many women from other regions were not able to join the rally due to severe traffic jams, and so at the begining of the rally women living in Seoul and Gyonggi province mainly took part. But happily women from other regions such as Jinjoo and Cheongjoo finally managed to join together.

Women had a meaningful and valuable time with other citizens to prevent FTA from being ratified with the US and to remove discrimination against irregular workers.

- a series of Kwon Younggil, Democratic Labor Party’s presidential candidate

On November 8^th 2007, Korean Women Workers Association (KWWA) and Korean Women’s Trade Union (KWTU) jointly organized presidential election pledges-delivering symposiums. Under the presidency of Choi Sangrim, chairperson of KWWA, a symposium as the second sequence was held to make women workers’ demands to Kwon Younggil, Democratic Labor Party’s presidential candidate.

Initially, the candidate was supposed to attend the symposium, but instead, Noh Hoe-chan, the election polling committee president, Ae-ja Hyun, a national assembly member belonging to the Health and Welfare Committee, Lee Soo-jung, Seoul Metropolitan Council member, and Park  Insook, supreme council member joined the symposium, because the schedule of the candidate overlapped with a TV program, 100 minute Debate. It is said that the candidate hopes to become a gender sensitive president in the era of women activation.

The Democratic Labor Party presents improving women’s economic and social powers, ensuring women’s rights to security and health, and enhancing gender equal policies as presidential election pledges in the women related areas.

In details, the Democratic Labor Party presents as essential presidential election pledges by session, insuring women’s rights to work, removing women’s poverty and expanding social securities, guaranteeing women’s rights to pregnancy, baby delivery and health, realizing female safe society, guaranteeing social statuses of various forms of families, politicizing women at grassroots levels, and gender equality.

Women workers at the workplace asked the following questions, after the Democratic Labor Party gave a brief presentation about its election pledges:

ŸQ (by Huh Jang-hui, dismissed Lotte Hotel worker): I am undergoing unreasonable minimum wages and insecure employment as a subcontracted worker. Has the Democratic Labor Party prepared for any countermeasure to tackle unreasonable minimum wages and insecure employment and increasing irregular jobs in the public sector?

 A: It is desirable that subcontracted workers should be upgraded to directly-employed workers. Mother companies and contractors should be included to the scope of employers. Minimum wages should be increased to 50% of average wages of regular workers, and up to 60% in the long term.

ŸQ (by Kim Eun-sook, assistant of 88CC): Do you have specially-hired workers related policies?

 A: Rights to work for specially-hired workers should be guaranteed and labor’s three major rights should be protected.

ŸQ (by Park Namhee, chairperson of KWTU): Please tell me how to realize the equal pay for work of equal value in practice in the public sector in order to tackle the expansion of irregular jobs and gender discrimination?

 A: legal realization of the equal pay for work of equal value is needed. Job evaluation-based wage systems should be implemented in gender-sensitive perspectives.

ŸQ (Um Kyeong-ae, Incheon Women Workers Association): Please tell me how to implement social insurances including reducing social insurance fees and introducing childbirth credits.

 A: Many people including farmers, small-size self-employed people, and irregular workers are excluded from the social insecurity system. Achieving their legal statuses as workers is a key point. For example, house caretakers cannot sign secure employment contracts with employers, and the number of job placement agencies is about 7,000 across the nation and among them that of public job centers is 500. However, just 7~80 job centers play a substantial role. The public job center-led reorganization in the house caretaker market should be made. The enactment of gender discrimination prevention laws will increase the current health insurance coverage level to 90% from 60%.

ŸQ (by Hong Seonghee, manager of National Cooperative of House Managers in Ansan): House caretakers’ rights are largely violated. They are not covered by social insurances, working in tough working conditions. They have also experienced severe and forced job allocations. Please tell me how to decrease harmful paid job placement agencies?

ŸQ (Kim Ok-hee, member of single parents’ meeting belonging to Ansan Women Workers Association): Do you have any measure to support living costs, medical fees and university tuition fees when single parents receive job training in order to find skilled jobs?

 A: We will set up social systems for supporting marginalized single parent families.

ŸQ: Even public jobs created by the government always provide payment in accordance with minimum wages. I wonder why the government establishes the minimum wage system?

 A: “Important is what sort of a regime.” I believe it depends on perspectives and philosophy rather than money. In relation to the expansion of social services, it is only Democratic Labor Party that raises issues regarding the employment of social service workers.

ŸQ: Please tell me about discrimination against irregular workers at schools.

 A: Even we wonder if relevant polices are feasible even though they were discussed. That’s why, we have prepared reliable budgeting since the presidential election in 2002. (Equal pays for) irregular workers in the public sector are viewed as possibly insured from the budget. However assistance for irregular workers in the private sector should be made, and especially for those who are working at very small size companies with less than 100 workers. The regularization of irregular workers in the public sector is feasible from the current national budget.

ŸQ: Please tell me about your plan to remove gaps in education.

 A: I think (policy-making in) education is up to perspectives: some view it as a product, others as a public service and welfare. Korean public share in the field of education is 30%. In Korea only at the age of 19, lifestyles are restricted, partners are decided, and sizes of their houses and friends are limited. The present 5% should be increased to 7%, in terms of budget on education. Private universities and colleges account for 80%, and in the circumstances I believe standardizing them is difficult in Korea. The Seoul National University should be reorganized on the basis of postgraduate schools, and other national or public universities should be upgraded to the level in which the Seoul National University maintains. Close networks amongst national or public universities will be able to remove barriers between schools. The advancement in education is standardizing. The number of national or public universities should be increased and (levels from elementary schools to universities and colleges) should be standardized.

ŸQ: Please tell me about your measurements in housing.
 A: As prices of real estates rise, there has been an increase in the cost of production. If an increase is made by 10 billion won, some people should burden that. Profits gained by investments in real estates should be socially collected.

At the end, the tree of hope conveying the voices of women workers was given as presidential agendas, to the Democratic Labor Party. Women workers’ voices must be heard as Democratic Labor Party’s good policies in practice.

Note taken and summarized by Shin MyungJin

I was looking forward to seeing the Women Workers Film Festival and its curtain was finally raised. It has become far better and developed over time since 2004 when the first festival was commenced. On Saturday, November 3^rd, 2007, although the festival was just commenced, it was so popular that all the seats were highly occupied. The Women Workers Film Festival will last for other 3 days with the help of hardworking volunteers including middle school students to members of the society, regardless of occupation and age.

The opening ceremony was the most eye-catching. At the opening addresses, Choi Sangrim, Chairperson of Korean Women Workers Association, Park  Namhee, Chairperson of Korean Women's Trade Union, and Yoon Hye-ryeon, Chairperson of Seoul Women Workers Association addressed a message that the films are about ordinary women, our mothers, our sisters and themselves in Korea, and asked for our constant interests in the festival. In addition, they evaluated the 1970s to be the history of struggles, and little improvement has been made in terms of working conditions and demands of workers who the films portray, mentioning this festival offers a venue to confirm that. However, they underlined they would have continued to carry out their struggles to improve working conditions, and hoped many people can join the movement together.

Kang Kyeonghee, chairperson of the Korea Foundation for Women, Park Soo-ae, wife of Creative Korea Party’s president, Lee Kyeong-eun, chairperson of Eui-jeongbu Women Association joined the film as guests. Followed are greetings by volunteers who help to bloom and fruit the festival, conveying their affections and hopes for the successful festival.

A performance by ‘rapping peppermint’ was followed. The performance created a festive mood and encouraged people to take an active part. From time to time, the musicians added rap lyrics for their congratulations on this festival. It was very amusing and fun.

In an interview, Bae Jin-kyung, secretary-general of KWWA in charge of planning and organizing this festival hoped we could have a good time to raise our concerns for the society, awaken our self-images and look at what have happened and what is truth in the society, rather than just accept distorted social images delivered by the press. The Phantom of the Operator was designated as an opening film. This Canadian film is a black-and-white film, whose beauty is its special structure. When the organizer let us know her funny episode experienced when she tried to import the film, a cheerful atmosphere was created. A good start guarantees a good end! I hope the Women Workers Film Festival with a good start can give a big leap forward in the end. I hope audiences and participants can have a valuable opportunity to improve their awareness to the higher level: ‘my stories, and important issues in our society’ not ‘her stories’ or ‘others stories different from me’,

written by Sookyoung, a volunteer

There has been increasing criticism for the unjust decision on the reinstatement of wrongdoers responsible for sexual harassment. On December 11, 2007, at a news conference, about 30 activists and members from Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, Federation of Korean Trade Unions, Korean Women's Trade Union, and Korean Women Workers Association, and Women Corea protested in front of the National Labor Relations Commission, against the unjust decision of the sexual harassment case occurring at Incheon International Airport.

The activists claimed “the decision on the sexual harassment occurring at Incheon International Airport accepted only the statement made by the wrongdoer and mostly ignored special circumstances regarding this sexual harassment case. We suspect the public committee members of the National Labor Relations Commission to be inappropriate and unqualified, so that they should not be involved in making decisions on sexual harassment cases. We demand the National Labor Relations Commission which made this decision on the reinstatement of the wrongdoer responsible for sexual harassment should deprive the public commission members in charge of their qualifications, should increase female commission members's ratios, and show a future plan for upgrading and conducting gender-sensitive perspectives in practice.”