Women’s Policy and Democratization in Korea

Since the political democratization of Korea and as NGOs continue expanding their social roles, women’s organizations increasingly play an important role as a co-worker to building the Korean democracy and now also as a new producer of public service and as a partner of the government. Women’s and gender issues had been first brought to the public by NGOs, and then the government and NGOs take these issues to the legislature together. National Machinery of women s policy had been changed and enlarged in the aspect of name and the number of staff. It started as a name of Second Ministry of Political Affairs(1988-1997), and Presidential Commission on Women’s Affairs(1998-2000). During the Kim Dae-jung government, it was changed as the Ministry of Gender Equality(2001-2005) and magnified with Family since 2005. With the national machinery of women s policy in central government, there are several branch offices in central and local government to produce new women s policies and revise gender-blind policies. There was a significant change of the relationship between government and women s NGO since Kim Young-sam government(1993), from the one of hostile confrontation to cooperation. As a result of women-friendly government’s appearance, women’s NGOs experienced several changes: 1) many women’s NGOs became financially stable with the aid of government-supported projects; 2) an increase in the number of women’s NGOs leaders scouted into politics and administration; 3) the establishment of the Ministry of Gender Equality; and 4) achievement of visible policy results and legal changes through participatory politics. Regarding women political participation, before the 16th(2000) election the law was changed to stipulate 30% of the party’s list must be women candidates. Then, before the 17th (2004) election the electoral law was changed again to require that parties nominate women to 50% of the lists and 30% of the district positions. In 2004, after the introduction of quotas, women were 51.79% of those elected from the national lists among 13% of total women elected.