The 27th Korean Women’s Rally was held at the Press Center in Gung-gu on the 7th, March in the presence of 247 representatives from women’s organizations, civic groups, and social corporations from all over the country celebrating International Women’s Day.
The ceremony had the theme, “Her Bread and Roses.” During the event, the “Stepping Stone” and the “Stumbling Block” awards of gender equality were announced and awarded, as well as the annual “Women’s Rights Movement Leadership Award.” Actors Kwon Haehyo and Kim Yeojin presided over the ceremony.
The Kiryung branch from Metalunion was named the Stepping Stones of gender equality. The branch successfully brought about the conversion of non-regular employment to regular employment in six years though hunger strikes and stay-ins. Ban Ol Lim, who brought labor issues of the semiconductor industry into the light and has been fighting for the right to healthy labor, has been deemed the protector of semiconductor laborers. The Stepping Stone also went to the producers of the TV show “W,” which attempted to illuminate the realities of women’s rights in the world but was forced to come to an abrupt end.
Kang Yongseok, the congressman who had caused a stir by belittling a female worker, was dishonored with the Stumbling Block, along with the GNP’s promotion video for the election that depicted female voters as ignorant, and their sponsoring prosecutors.
Meanwhile, The Women’s Right Movement of The Year Award was given to a women’s organization called Neomeoseo, the ex-Seoul YMCA Members’ Solidarity for the Abolition of Sexual Discrimination. They won the case against YMCA who used to refuse to grant its female members executive membership.
The organizing committee of the Korean Women’s Rally is expected to report “Herstory Telling,” which tells women’s stories regarding the right to live and other civil rights on its blog (http://38women.co.kr) during the entire month of March.