Direction for a Gender-Equal Society in Work, Safety, and Digital Transformation
Youth Participants in the Public Forum Deliver On-Site Voices as Speakers in Each Session
Keynote Speakers: Delphine O, UN Generation Equality Forum Secretary-General, and Former Minister Jeong Hyun-baek
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will hold the '2021 Korea Gender Equality Forum' online from November 2 to 3. While discussing gender equality, jobs, a safe society, and the digital era, the forum will gather opinions from young people and introduce the 'voices from the field' in each session.
This forum, under the theme 'A New Gender Equal World Opening the Future,' will examine the realities faced by youth in various fields such as work, safety, and digital transformation, and explore the potential impacts and responses for realizing a gender-equal society.
The forum will be held online to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to enhance citizen participation, and will be broadcast live in Korean and English on the official forum website and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family’s YouTube channel.
The keynote speakers include Delphine O, Secretary-General of the UN Generation Equality Forum, who will introduce international efforts such as youth participation for gender equality and intergenerational equality. Jeong Hyun-baek, former Minister of Gender Equality and Family and Honorary Professor at Sungkyunkwan University, will present directions for realizing a gender-equal society based on values of fairness, inclusion, and mutual respect in the international community and Korea.
Marking its second year, this forum will feature presentations and discussions in sessions including ▲Youth Work and Life (Session 1) ▲Safe Society (Session 2) ▲Digital Era, New Challenges and Gender Equality (Session 3) ▲Seeking Alternatives for Gender Equality (Session 4), with participation from over 30 people including youth, civil society, academia, government, and international organizations.
To gather youth opinions, the Ministry held an online public forum in October, where about 100 young men and women discussed tasks and alternatives for a gender-equal society. Youth who actually participated in the public forum will serve as speakers and introduce the 'voices from the field' in each session.
On the first day, Session 1 'Youth Work and Life' will discuss discrimination and inequality faced by youth in the labor field, including unemployment, job insecurity, hiring gender discrimination, and career interruptions, as well as alternatives. Session 2 'Safe Society' will discuss safety issues such as sexual harassment and sexual crimes threatening daily life in workplaces, the military, and online spaces, as well as causes and alternatives to violence and hate.
Session 3 'Digital Era, New Challenges and Gender Equality' will discuss the crises and opportunities for realizing a gender-equal society amid the normalization of non-face-to-face interactions due to COVID-19, digital transformation, and discrimination and hate online, along with new challenges. Session 4 'Seeking Alternatives for Gender Equality' will explore alternatives for realizing a gender-equal society based on the results of the thematic sessions.
Jeong Young-ae, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, said, "The process in which young people communicate and consider alternatives for realizing a gender-equal society will be a great force for our society to move toward a better democratic society," adding, "I hope the 2021 Korea Gender Equality Forum will be a meaningful public discourse platform for progress toward a gender-equal society."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
