Jeong Young-ae, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, "We will fully support the recovery of sexual violence victims"

Visiting Haebaragi Center for Quarantine Inspection and Meeting with On-site Workers

Minister Jung Young-ae of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family visited the Changdong Youth Sexual Culture Center in Dobong-gu, Seoul on the 13th and discussed the current status of support for child and adolescent sex education services with the staff.

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Jeong Young-ae, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, will visit the Gyeonggi Southern Sunflower Center on the 26th to inspect the COVID-19 quarantine situation and meet with workers to hear their on-site opinions.

The Sunflower Center is an institution that provides integrated services such as counseling, medical care, legal assistance, and investigation support to victims of sexual violence, domestic violence, and prostitution, operating 39 centers nationwide.

Last year, the Sunflower Center supported 27,434 people, a 15% increase compared to the previous year. It provided 418,032 cases of support, including counseling support (129,199 cases) and medical support (106,742 cases), which is a 10% increase from the previous year.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family formed a dedicated task force last year to improve the operation of the Sunflower Center, expanding budget and personnel support. They are also consulting with the Ministry of Health and Welfare on a plan to award additional points for 'support services for female victims of violence' when evaluating regional public hospitals. There are plans to allow centers to be established outside hospital spaces and to support rental fees.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has allocated a budget of 17.35 billion KRW for the Sunflower Center this year, an 11% increase from last year. They increased nursing staff by 16 people and prepared measures to improve working conditions, such as securing holiday work allowances for shift workers.

Minister Jeong Young-ae said, "As COVID-19 prolongs, the difficulties faced by workers at the Sunflower Center located in hospitals are greater than ever. I once again thank all the workers who are dedicated to supporting victims of sexual violence, and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will fully provide the necessary support for victims of sexual violence to heal their wounds and restore their daily lives."