[EDITORIAL] Gender equality

Indications are that the incoming Lee Myung-bak government will close a ministry that had half of the nation`s population as its sphere of responsibility. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will be shut down just seven years after it was established, and its functions will be mainly handed over to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, if the government reorganization plan envisioned by the transition team is implemented.

The time when the nation had this unique government operation -- which had its only overseas parallel in New Zealand`s Ministry of Women`s Affairs -- was a period of remarkable social change involving women`s status and roles. Women advanced significantly into a number of traditionally male-dominated professional areas, including public service, and began seriously competing with men in other fields. Meanwhile, the rising divorce rate, the low fertility rate, and the rising age of marriage over the past several years are believed to have something to do with the elevating status of women.

The ministry has spurred legislation to prevent and punish sexual trafficking, and to eliminate discrimination against women in the family, as in the matter of who can be named the family head, and who inherits the parents` wealth. The ministry`s hidden but important role was to closely examine all government policy measures for their possibly negative effects on women. Naturally, women`s associations are strongly opposing the move to abolish this ministry.

Whether to keep the MOGEF intact or not is up to the next government, but its present missions, ranging from the protection of women from violence and exploitation to the broadening of women`s economic role by providing sufficient childcare services, should never be reduced. Women now get a third to a half of new positions as lawyers, judges, prosecutors and public accountants, but Korea remained in 64th place on the U.N. Development Program`s Gender Empowerment Measure ranking, among 93 nations. In this complex and contradictory situation, prudence is required in deciding the fate of a ministry devoted to the equality of females and males, which is, after all, a basic requirement for national advancement and true democracy.