The 32nd Korea Women’s Conference in celebration of 3.8 International Women’s Day in 2016 : Bind Your Hope Gather! Act! Change!

The 32nd Korea Women’s Conference in celebration of 3.8 International Women’s Day in 2016

Bind Your Hope

Gather! Act! Change!

 

▢ The 32nd Korea Women’s Conference, which was held on Saturday afternoon, March 5, 2016, proceeded with its celebration at Multi Purpose Hall in Seoul City Hall and the following parade around Jongno district.

 

▢ About a thousand women who gathered from all over the country freely shouted out, cheered one another, and therefore confirmed the rigid power of solidarity at the Korea Women’s Conference, held in order to transform the epoch of frustration into the bright future of hope.

 

▢ At the celebration, after the announcement of Gender Equality Stumbling Stone , Gender Equality Stepping Stone (‘Jarim Foundation emergency committee’, ‘Hope Butterfly Network’, ‘#IAmAFeminist’ declaration movement’, ‘The Incheon Branch of the Whole Country's Women Labor Union, Yonsei’s International Campus branch’, ‘the nine women who reported the death case at the adult entertainment establishment in Yeosu') awardees were given a big hand, and the union members of ‘KTX Train Employee Branch Union’ were bestowed with the special award, cheered, and promised the solidarity.

<Special Award> KTX Train Crew Workers’ Branch Union The 10 year-long indefatigable struggles against the discrimination against temporary employees, KTX train crew workers’ branch union to declare another outset for all   <Gender Equality Stepping Stone> ▢ ‘Jarim Sexual Violence Emergency Committee’: it called for the protection of human rights for the handicapped in the institute, and successfully brought about the cancellation of the permission regarding its incorporation. ▢ ‘Hope Butterfly Network’: it is the university student-led group that acts in various kinds of ways in order to righteously settle ‘comfort women’ related problems by the Japanese military. ▢ “IAmAFeminist declaration movement’: it water-downs not only some distortion but also the prejudices concerning feminists to a certain degree, and attracts much social attention. ▢ “The Incheon Branch of the Whole Country's Women Labor Union at the dormitory of Yonsei’s International Campus”: it annulled the restructuring within the main contractor and the layoffs in the service company. ▢ “The nine women who reported the death case at the adult entertainment establishment in Yeosu': it disclosed the business owners’ exploitation and violence and the illegal prostitution business of the adult entertainment establishments to the public attention.   <Gender Equality Stumbling Stone> ▢ The Three Policies of Park’s administration that impede gender equality: (1) “the standard proposal for sex education,” which consolidates gender discrimination; (2) “the labor policy,” which destabilizes the female workers’ employee status and facilitates the procedure to lay off; and (3) “gender equality policy,” which bases itself on heteronormativity, consequently precipitates the discrimination against sexual minorities, and therefore reproduces the distorted perception on gender equality. ▢ South Gyeongsang Governor Hong Joon-pyo, who nullified the fund for gender equality (the kind of gender equality, discussed here, also pertains to heteronormativity). ▢ Gwangju district court, which sentenced the perpetrator to a fine, taking into consideration his future career. ▢ Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, which distressed the female president of the labor union ▢ The two chief justice, Ko and Kim, ruled against the plaintiff regarding the suit to confirm the employment status of the KTX female employees.   ※ there was nobody who received this year's feminism activist award in this conference

 

▢ Through '3.8 women's declaration' the pledges were made to aim for the world with gender equality as follows

- 'Gender equality is progress for all.' Accomplish the values of gender equality !!!

- Oppose all forms of violence and discrimination towards women !!!

- The increasing number of temporary workers, Put an end to the retrogressive revision of the Labor Law that impairs the employment status of female workers !!!

- The fabrication of history, the humiliating diplomatic decision; nullify the agreement between South Korea and Japan in terms of comfort women issues.

- The Sewol ferry disaster, Unmask the truth behind the scene !!!

- Ameliorate the relationship between South Korea and North Korea, and formulate peace !!!

- Make the world not only safe but also sustainable by virtue of denuclearization !!!

- Make the 20th national assembly with gender equality !!!

 

▢ The parade after the celebration went on via Jongno district to the front of the Statue of Peace. About a thousand participants in the Korea Women's Conference, who donned colorful raincoats in a heavy rain, shouted out gender equality, opposed the violence against women and the retrogressive revision of the Labor Law, and called for the nullification of the agreement between South Korea and Japan in terms of comfort women issues. They went past Standard Chartered(SC) First Bank Korea Ltd, and finished the 32nd Korea Women's Conference by the small scale gathering in front of the Statue of Peace.