Labor Ministers of 20 Major Countries: "COVID-19 Employment Impact Concentrated on Women"

Adoption of Joint Declaration... "We Will Make Every Effort to Reduce Gender Gaps"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Employment and labor ministers from the Group of Twenty (G20), including South Korea, agreed on the 23rd to expand employment opportunities for women, noting that women have been disproportionately affected by the employment shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the G20 labor ministers held a virtual meeting at 8 p.m. (Korean time) the previous day and adopted a joint declaration reflecting this content.

In the declaration, the G20 labor ministers pointed out, "COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted young, low-skilled, and vulnerable groups of women," adding, "Women constitute a high proportion of frontline workers, thus experiencing higher rates of job loss, occupational exposure to the virus, and increased burdens of household and unpaid care work."

They emphasized, "We will make new and more special efforts to support more and better employment opportunities for women to reduce gender gaps in job quality and career prospects." They further resolved, "We will promote equal distribution of women and men across all sectors and occupations, eliminate the gender wage gap, and encourage a balanced distribution of paid and unpaid work between women and men."

They also stated, "Special attention must be given to temporary or part-time workers, low-wage workers, self-employed individuals, migrant workers, and informal sector workers," raising the need for social safety nets that benefit everyone during crisis situations.

Regarding the digital transformation trend triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, they stressed, "We will strive for a human-centered, inclusive, fair, and sustainable digital transition, the building of the future of work, and the reduction of the digital gender gap."

At the meeting, Minister Ahn Kyung-duk of the Ministry of Employment and Labor introduced government measures to strengthen employment safety nets, including the establishment of nationwide employment insurance, the National Employment Support System, and protection measures for platform workers.