|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Maternity Protection Bill a Hollow Shell |
Maternity Protection Laws, which had been postponed for two years, may go into effect as early as July 1.
The bill does propose a lengthening of the maternity leave from 60 to 90 days. However, it fails to include paid leave for abortions and miscarriages, monthly one-day leave for obstetric check-ups, partial paid leave for child-care, and official leave for family members of nursing mothers. Women and labor groups are protesting vigorously.
"Withholding leave for obstetric check-ups is tantamount to neglecting the rights of the baby to health services," comments the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). It also defines leaves for abortions and miscarriages as "the minimum measure that ought to be taken to guarantee women workers' health rights." The KCTU
called on the government to "legalize obstetric check-ups and abortion and miscarriage leaves as stated in the revision proposed by women and labor groups."The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (
FKTU) also lambasted the government's move, saying, "Refusing to guarantee paid child-care leave on the pretext of increased labor costs - despite the falling birthrate among women workers - is nothing less than telling women workers not to have children."The Citizens' Alliance for the Revision of Women Labor Laws (the Alliance) has been conducting a relay statement release at the National Assembly since April 11. The Alliance is also planning to hold daily one-man demonstrations in front of the National Assembly building starting on the first day of the June National Assembly session.
reported by Choi Lee Boo-ja, bjchoi@womennews.co.kr
| Korea Elected into UN Human Rights and Women Commissions |
During the elections held at the UN ECOSOC
on May 3, Korea was elected as a member country of the UN Human Rights Commission for the fourth time running and the Commission on the Status of Women for the third time running. This achievement has set the stage for reflecting the Korean government's position on issues such as comfort women and Japanese history text books.The Human Rights Commission oversees all UN human rights activities such as the supervision of each member country's human rights record. In this round of elections, Korea vied for the three seats allocated to Asian nations, and won 42 votes out of 53 to come in second.
reported by
Song Ahn Un-a
, cognate@womennews.co.kr
| UN Designates KWAU as Special Advisor |
Mr. Lee Sang Ho and Miss Lee Ji Yong, set to tie the knot on June 23, are the first couple in Korea to sign a property contract upon marriage.
The 'property contract between married couples' is an institutional mechanism governing the property ownership of married couples. It is defined in Article 829 of the Civil Law, 'Property Contract between Married Couples and Its Revision.' However, the article has served no purpose whatsoever, since not a single case has been submitted so far.
According to the property contract, married couples, on principle, share equal rights and duties where the acquisition, profit, management, sale, and purchase of property are concerned. The contract also stipulates that the couple must become co-signatories in property registration, share household expenses, seek each other's consent before becoming loan guarantors or buying or selling important assets. So for example, if a husband who has signed this contract agrees to stand as guarantor without the prior consent of his wife, his obligations as a guarantor is nullified. The contract stays in effect unless the couple gets a divorce.
DUO, a professional matchmaking agency, and LawServe, an internet law firm, began providing consulting services and receiving applications for the property contract since March. The two companies are inundated with daily telephone inquires. Besides Lee and his fiancee, four other couples have agreed to sign the property contract and are taking the necessary steps.
An employee of LawServe revealed that although the company has finished drawing up the contract for Lee and his fiancee, it is having problems submitting it because the government does not have an administrative procedure for this unprecedented case. But LawServe intends to wrap up the case before June 23, the couple's nuptial day.
reported by
Cho Lee Yeu-wool
, cognate@womennews.co.kr
| First Couple to Sign Property Contract |
Mr. Lee Sang Ho and Miss Lee Ji Yong, set to tie the knot on June 23, are the first couple in Korea to sign a property contract upon marriage.
The 'property contract between married couples' is an institutional mechanism governing the property ownership of married couples. It is defined in Article 829 of the Civil Law, 'Property Contract between Married Couples and Its Revision.' However, the article has served no purpose whatsoever, since not a single case has been submitted so far.
According to the property contract, married couples, on principle, share equal rights and duties where the acquisition, profit, management, sale, and purchase of property are concerned. The contract also stipulates that the couple must become co-signatories in property registration, share household expenses, seek each other's consent before becoming loan guarantors or buying or selling important assets. So for example, if a husband who has signed this contract agrees to stand as guarantor without the prior consent of his wife, his obligations as a guarantor is nullified. The contract stays in effect unless the couple gets a divorce.
DUO, a professional matchmaking agency, and LawServe, an internet law firm, began providing consulting services and receiving applications for the property contract since March. The two companies are inundated with daily telephone inquires. Besides Lee and his fiancee, four other couples have agreed to sign the property contract and are taking the necessary steps.
An employee of LawServe revealed that although the company has finished drawing up the contract for Lee and his fiancee, it is having problems submitting it because the government does not have an administrative procedure for this unprecedented case. But LawServe intends to wrap up the case before June 23, the couple's nuptial day.
reported by Song
An Eun-a
, sea@womennews.co.kr
| The Third Anti-Miss Korea Festival |
The third Anti-Miss Korea Festival, a cultural gala for women activists, will be opening on May 19 at Jeongdong
A&C. Based on this year's theme of "Beyond Job Boundaries," the festival plans to display a wide variety of jobs regardless of gender, age and looks, thereby creating hope for women who are proudly doing their part in their respective work places. 
▶ Feminist Hip Hop Community 'I Will' aims to eliminate aspects in Hip Hop
that disparage women
The Anti-Miss Korea Festival started out in 1999, condemning the gamut of beauty pageants that judge women on looks alone. The Festival has shown the world the genuine meaning of beauty and the diverse forms it can take on. The result of a fresh attempt to combine feminism and culture, the Anti-Miss Korea Festival won the hearts of women all over the country and became a festive celebration for women, indeed an alternative beauty contest as its name suggests.
The congratulatory performance scheduled for the third Anti-Miss Korea Festival will feature the Chungbuk
Alliance of Disabled Women, the winner of the second Anti-Miss Korea crown, the singing group Heady Mamas, and Chung Mi Jo, singer and Pure Arts professor at Suwon University. Other programs set to delight audiences include a body-painting show by make-up artist Yoon Ye Ryong and a mono-drama by a professional woman driver.A documentary depicting the history of working women entitled <Fly, Women, Fly!> will be screened at the Festival. The audience will enjoy a refreshing kind of fun and beauty through the creative performance put up by 15 teams showing the exciting worlds of different professions. A host of programs are lined up to give the audience food for thought regarding our concept of jobs - a martial arts show by the Policewomen's commando unit, a fashion show by Lee Dae
Hak (a man who wears women's clothes), a satirical play by the Citizens' Alliance for the Abolishment of the Hoju System, a satirical musical by the Young Play Actors' Group entitled <Sister Act>, a performance by disabled housewife Ye Ok Ju entitled <Away with the Chaff>...
◀ Disabled
housewife Ye Ok Ju, proud of her healthy mind inside her twisted body
Lee Song Ro, who is studying to become a male nurse, will be participating in the Festival with a performance entitled <Men Wannabe Nurses Too>. Lee is planning to change the Nightingale Oath to suit his own style, mocking the gender-based prejudice that people have regarding jobs.
Feminist Hip Hop Community 'I Will' will be using dance to show the heartache of women dancers. Pepper, a member of 'I Will,' expresses her happiness in being part of the Festival, saying, "Unlike other contests, there's no rivalry in Anti-Miss Korea and everybody mingles and has a good time."
This year's Anti-Miss Korea Festival, like its predecessors, will be televised live. Participants say they will not stop at blocking the broadcasting of Miss Korea; they dream of the day they can discover the marks of patriarchal oppression branded on their bodies and fling them away.
reported
by Ji Eun-ju,
ippen@womennews.co.kr
Articles condensed by Lee Jae-jin
, translated by Cho Eung-joo.
Copyright (c) The women's news All
rights reserved.
http://www.womennews.co.kr