South Korean Regions Enhance Gender Equality Governance After Elections

Following the recent local elections, Gyeonggi Province, Busan City, and the Jeonnam-Gwangju region are set to bolster their gender equality governance structures. Newly elected leaders have made significant campaign promises to establish or reinforce 'gender equality control towers' within their administrations, signaling a renewed focus on gender-sensitive policies.

In Gyeonggi Province, Governor-elect Choo Mi-ae has pledged to create a new gender equality policy officer position and mandate gender impact assessments for the province's mid-to-long-term plans. The budget allocated for gender-sensitive initiatives is also expected to increase. Currently, gender equality efforts fall under the human rights division, but this role is anticipated to expand significantly.

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It is necessary to create a system at the local government level that can control gender equality policies in order to effectively implement existing laws and systems related to gender equality.

Busan Mayor-elect Jeon Jae-soo plans to strengthen the existing gender equality committee, placing it directly under the mayor's authority. This committee will be responsible for coordinating and reviewing gender-sensitive budgets and projects across various departments. Similarly, Jeonnam-Gwangju Mayor-elect Min Hyung-bae has committed to appointing a female deputy mayor and granting joint approval rights for projects exceeding 1 billion won (approximately $750,000) from a gender equality perspective.

These moves address criticisms that existing gender equality committees in the 17 provincial and metropolitan governments often operate nominally, managed by departments focused on women or families, and meet infrequently. The new leadership aims to ensure these bodies function effectively. A notable aspect of these pledges is the commitment to systematically collect and publish gender-disaggregated statistics, enabling a clearer understanding of disparities in areas like employment and social participation. This data-driven approach is seen as crucial for developing targeted and effective gender equality policies.

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There are almost no gender statistics in the regions. Gender statistics are necessary to recognize the differences in gender equality in various fields between women and men, and to develop specific policies to make them equitable.