WOMEN & POLITICS

THE KOREAN INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN & POLITICS

May 2003

KIWP was established in 1989 with the aims of heightening women‘s political consciousness and expanding political participation. Since that time, KIWP has worked relentlessly to accomplish those objectives both domestically and in the international arena, through a broad range of programs and undertakings. These have included both academic and more pragmatically oriented workshops and seminars and the publication of materials designed to promote strategies to support  women candidates in the electoral process. We pride ourselves on our determination and commitment to these goals and our resolve to maintain such posture until such time as genuine equality exists in the political realm.

Contents:

* Message from the Chairperson / Dr. Jung-sook KIM

* KIWP Major Events of 2002

* Resolutions: KIWP's Positions prior to the 2002 Local Elections

* Future Activities in 2002

Message from the Chairperson

Women's Victories in the 2002 Local Elections

Jung-Sook Kim, Ed. D.

(Chairperson of KIWP / Member of the National Assembly )

According to a report of the World Bank, those nations where women and men have equal rights have shown high economic growth rates and low corruption rates, but those nations with low gender equality have shown the opposite outcomes. Gender equality means the expansion of the ability of both women and men to choose and to manage their lives. Moreover, it brings about a low degree of corruption in a country where women have high influence on the public realm. Thus, it empirically proves that the increase of women's political participation is likely to enhance not only the promotion of rights of individual women but also the social and economic development of a nation.

However, in the case of Korea, women have been considerably limited to participate in politics, and, in fact, their participation is low. Although the ratio of winning numbers of women candidates in local elections has gradually increased since the beginning of local autonomy, it has not been over 5% on average. In France, the 50/50 equal representation nomination system between women and men was practiced in municipal elections last year, and the ratio of women members in municipal assemblies increased into 47.5%. This French case tells many things to us.    The reasons for women's active participation in local politics is connected to the characteristics of local autonomy. A member at a prefectural/ municipal assembly is understood not as a politician but as a server or volunteer. For instance, one empirical research presents that, compared to men, women participate in politics so as to serve their communities rather than to strengthen political power. Hence, local politics can be a good opportunity for women who have relatively lacked political experiences and have not entered the political world early.

Women who plan to challenge the local elections this year should actively face the reality of the elections with responsibility and confidence. Women working as members in politics right now must have a sense of duty as representatives in the first year of the era of women's politics. Women candidates must have such a strong sense of responsibility as to overcome obstacles in the course of the elections, because they become role models for other women who hope to participate in politics later.

In addition, women should pay attention to improving laws, policies and systems. It was the increase of women's political power that made France to seek policies for women. In the 1970s, French women with high interests in politics began to reflect their opinions through voting, and thus, French political parties could not help pursuing policies for women in a new way to win elections.

Therefore, the circle of women's organizations in Korea will have to act for women's political participation systematically and cooperatively, and to exert for the enabling environment of systems favorable to women's political participation, such as the amendment of the Election Law and the introduction of public management of election. Also, women will have to be able to exercise their influence on politics through voting to become a politically significant group. When women's voting rates are much higher than men's in every election, and when their rates turn out a clear tendency, women's voice in politics will be louder and policies for gender equality will be expected to show a new development.

The local elections on 13 June are extremely important in affecting the future of Korea. Through the elections, we should abolish the obsolete customs and practices of Korean politics, and start on a long journey toward a new politics. If women preparing the elections make every effort and step for their victories, there will come chances. These chances will help to establish a democratic electoral culture, and to widely open the door of women's politics in the end.

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KIWP Major Events of 2002

2002 Local Self-Government, Power of Women ;

Get the Balance Right!!

Korean Institute for Women & Politics (KIWP) held the "Women's Forum on Politics" at the Women's Common Forum of the Korean Women's Development Institute (KWDI) in cooperation with the Ministry of Gender Equality, from 29th to 31st October and 5th to 7th December 2001, as a preparation for the 2002 Local Elections that will be on 13th June 2002.

The Forum was provided for women candidates, running for a local office, to prepare the election with confidence and courage.

The program of the Forum was composed of several parts, such as a preliminary preparation for future candidates, speech exercises, making election pledges, systematic election strategy, etc. In the first day, the Forum proceeded with a lecture on local self-government, a workshop with the issue of 'Self-Training and Leadership Training,' and a conference with some current women members of the local assemblies.

In the second day, a self-training program for prospecting candidates was offered. In the third day, as the practice of making practical strategies for the 2002 elections, participants made their own campaign strategies and election pledges, and presented them. Also, the participants had a chance to share their experiences and knowledge under the theme of 'What do women have to do and what has to be changed in local politics?'

Overall, the forum was held to promote women to participate in the 2002 Local Elections more actively. Women who joined the forum could finish their education program with confidence that 'We are the people who change our community.' They all gave their words that they would be the main actors of promoting women's right as well as local and national development.

6. 13 Local Elections Reporters

"6. 13 Local Elections Reporters" program is now under way by the KIWP as a joint project with Seoul Municipal Authority. The project was prepared in the hope of providing the opportunity of systematic political education for undergraduates who want to contribute their abilities in monitoring local elections, which will be held on June 13th 2002, to promoting local development in the long run.

The program, therefore, would be a very example of political education that makes participants expand their perception of women's political participation and ponder over possible ways to obtain the essence of local autonomy, by monitoring women candidates' activities in the male-dominated political arena.

Reporters are going to news us the adversity and the success of women candidates through the Internet during the campaign period. This activity will surely be a cornerstone of achieving gender equality and true democracy. Besides, the reporters will provide precious resources, such as weak points of women candidates in an election, analyses of election outcomes, etc., for women who plan to run for an election in the future.

2002 Who's Who of Women Politician

The enlargement of the number of women participants in politics is the most important step to be taken to promote the rights of women and gender equality of women in Korea. Keeping this in mind, the KIWP is now constructing a directory of women politician, as an inevitable source for cultivating women politicians, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Gender Equality.

The aim of this project is to make a systematic information data bank of future women candidates, women activists working for women's political participation, and women who are organized through various political education programs and networks.

This project will be a firm foundation to systematically manage, to constantly train and to properly support women politicians and activists. It will also help to create a network among these women, and thus contribute to women's political empowerment.

Asia-Pacific Congress "Media and Transformative Leadership"

Korean Institute for Women & Politics, the East Asian focal point of Center for Asian-Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP), participated in the conference on "Media and Transformative Leadership" which was held in Macati City, the Philippines, 8 - 10 November 2001, together with KIWP members. This conference was held with the assumption that there can be no true democracy without women sharing power and participating the policy-making procedure. And it was aimed for encouraging women of Asian-Pacific area to play a key role in politics with equal right.

Conference on "2002 Choice, Women, and Victory"

Youn-oh YOUN / Director of the Graduate School of Politics and Leadership Kookmin University

Although more and more women are participating civil movements actively in these days, there are few women who have the ambition to jump into the established political arena actually. It is because of the prejudice that civil movements have no common interests or aims with the established politics. Think local politics as an extension of civil movements! We are looking forward to seeing women activists playing a key role in local government. We insist all the women to do their best to eradicate the common belief that women are inferior to men in their professions.

Yun-sook LEE / Chairperson of Committee on Women's Affair of the National Assembly

It is possible to elect a woman president if all women are united to vote for her. However, only a few women dare to participate in politics in spite of the 30% quota. Today is the high time when women must think strategically about the way she can contribute her abilities to the country and reorganization of society for it.

Hyun-ok CHO / President of Korea Women's Politics Solidarity

There are two kinds of way in women's political participation. One is to participate as a voter. And the other is to participate as a representative. Participating actively as a voter is the base of women's political movement, because all power comes from voters' votes. A united power of women as voters and active participation as political representatives are needed.

I insist that political parties suggest a practical solution to enlarge the number of women in the public nomination, in addition to showing its will to encourage more women to participate in politics.

Myung-hee BACK / Member of the Daegu Metropolitan Council

Although I have devoted myself to women's political movements as a vice-president of the council for 7 years, I had faced many conflicts in the course of deciding to run for a district leader. Although the political and social culture in Korea is unfriendly to most woman candidates, I am doing my best to get through this situation and win the election.

Soon-ja PARK / Member of the Kyonggi Provincial Assembly

Because local politics or local autonomy is an arena of politics for daily life where people in the community solve their own problems and enhance the quality of life by themselves, it is important to empower the role of women in the local government's activities.

I have a firm plan to run for an office with new and fresh alternative policies in June. I would do my best to show that the politics of women is the politics of trust and hope without any corruptions.

Chun-ja LIM / Member of the Gangnam District Council

I had been elected as a member of the Gangnam District Council for three times. And it is not difficult for me to become the chairperson of the council, if I am elected once more. However, I decided to run for an election to become a Member of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, because I thought that I would have to pass through a more challenging path, not an easy and comfortable one, as a female politician.

Although my party and the Special Committee for Political Affairs had determined to provide 30% quota for women in the public nomination, many women politicians including myself had to go through the preliminary competition. I hope that the 30% quota will be executed exactly in the future.

Jung-sook KIM / Chairperson of KIWP, Member of the National Assembly

Although the Grand National Party decided to make a 30% quota as a party rule, the problem is that the number of women candidates is few. The quota system is a fruitful outcome of many people's efforts. Nonetheless, there would be no more room for women, if women do not take the advantage of this opportunity.

Therefore, I expect that we do our best to encourage women to run for an office and to win the election with courage and hope.

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RESOLUTIONS

- KIWP's Positions prior to the 2002 Local Elections -

1. The amendment of the laws related to politics that guarantees 30% of nominations for women will be practiced from the 2002 Local Elections. We urge each political party to stop nominate women nominally, and rather to make every effort to help women candidates substantially participate in the elections and thus win the elections.

2. We expect women's organizations to do their best to find capable women candidates, and to encourage and monitor each political party to actively support the nominations and victories of women candidates.

3. The Government should manage and supervise the fairness of these Elections. For instance, it should exert itself to provide such a clean election atmosphere that women candidates will be able to demonstrate their ability.

4. Women should discard passive attitudes to political participation, recommend and encourage each other, and be resolute for the 2000 Local Elections. Above all, we hope women candidates, who have fair and new minds, to lead and win the elections.

5. We, KIWP, pledge ourselves to pursue a harmonious politics for gender equality and democracy, and to construct the foundation of political reform in Korea with all efforts.

February 2002

Korean Institute for Women & Politics (KIWP)

Future Activities 2002

▷ Education & Training for the 2002 Local Elections

- Training for women candidates who want to run in the 2002 local elections

- Finding a Solution for the activation of Local Women's Participation in Politics

▷ 6.13 Local Elections Reporters

- Monitoring women candidates' campaign

- Informing women candidates' campaign on the internet

▷ Publishing 「2002 Who's Who of Women Politician」

- Establishing a data bank of current and future women politicians so as to expand women's participation in politics

▷ Academic Seminar

- The 13th-anniversary commemorative International Seminar

▷ Holding the  'Women's Forum on Politics' (Every Other Month)

▷ Joint Activities with Other Women's Organizations in National & International Level

- Strengthening the Joint Activities with Asia-Pacific Women's Organizations

- Strengthening the Joint Activities with East Asian  Women's Organizations(5 Nations)

▷ Strengthening KIWP Status as a NGO in SPECIAL consultative status with the UN ECOSOC

▷ Activation of KIWP Homepage

▷ Publications

- Publications of 'Women's Participation in Politics in the World'

- Publications of KIWP Newsletter- 'Women & Politics' (a quarterly)