Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said Friday the government will do more to expand the rights of women and children, adding its ministries will join forces to achieve gender equality in all sectors.

"The government will promote gender equality at all levels of society and make a determined effort to achieve this vision," Hwang said.

The prime minister said the efforts will include adopting a flexible work-hour system so that women can focus both on childcare and their careers. The government will also promote female-led startups in line with the so-called creative economy policy.

The creative economy refers to President Park Geun-hye's flagship policy that aims to merge innovation with different industrial sectors, mainly in such areas as information and communications technologies, to generate new business opportunities and foster more economic growth.

"The public sector will take the lead in bolstering females' social positions and expand the portion of women executives, and induce private firms to follow the trend," the premier said, adding the country must break discriminatory customs.

"We can achieve development and prosper only when men and women can equally contribute to social development," Hwang stressed. (Yonhap)