Publication of Gwanak-gu Women's Life Oral History 'Gwanak Her Story Book'... Why?

[Seoul District News] Discovering Stories of 10 Women Contributing to Community Development, Recorded Alongside Gwanak's History · Life Oral History Project Involving Local Women, Not Experts, Gwanak District First Nationwide... Mapo District Supports 1,700 Infants with Picture Books

Gwanak Herstory Excavation Project Team Commendation Ceremony

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] In the rapidly disappearing and forgotten process of urbanization, archiving efforts to preserve the memories and living heritage held by local communities before they are lost are actively underway by recording the appearance of villages and the lives of residents through oral histories and life stories.

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) has collected oral life histories of local women under the theme of women's lives alongside the history of Gwanak, and published "The Stories of Women Rooted and Blossomed in Gwanak, Gwanak Her Story Book."

The "Gwanak Her Story Discovery" project was planned to re-examine the roles and contributions of women as protagonists in the region's development process and to contribute to fostering women's pride and spreading a culture of gender equality through fair evaluation.

Started in January last year, the project was somewhat delayed due to many restrictions caused by the spread of COVID-19 but bore fruit after about one year and five months.

On the 20th, the district awarded certificates of appreciation to the "Gwanak Her Story" oral history discovery and recording team, who discovered and recorded stories of women who contributed to the development of the local community and helped improve women's status.

On this day, Mayor Park Jun-hee said, "This project was promoted with the goal of strengthening women's capacity for community activities," adding, "Through this, the stories of Gwanak women who faithfully fulfilled their roles in their positions will spread to the local community, becoming an opportunity to improve women's status and create a culture of gender equality."

"The Stories of Women Rooted and Blossomed in Gwanak" involved nine local women in the recording process, capturing the past, present, and future stories of ten women.

The book vividly records the changes in era and region experienced by women of various ages settled in Gwanak, including stories of sewing factories in Miseong-dong in the 1990s, the Nangok Medical Cooperative and experiences of Nangok mothers, lives of cultural figures associated with the Gwanak Cultural Center, and stories of marriage immigrant women who settled in Gwanak.

While life oral history recording projects for local women have occasionally been conducted by cultural foundations and research institutes, Gwanak-gu is the first in the nation to plan a project as a local government, publish oral history collections, and involve local women rather than experts as the subjects of the records.

By recruiting the "Gwanak Her Story" oral history discovery and recording team targeting local women and collaborating with the Korea Oral History Research Institute to provide oral history training courses, the district strengthened and expanded women's opportunities and capacities for social participation, which is also highly significant.

Since being designated as a "Women-Friendly City" by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family in 2019, the district has been promoting various projects to achieve five major goals: establishing a foundation for gender equality policies, expanding women's economic and social participation, enhancing community safety, creating a family-friendly environment, and strengthening women's capacity for community activities.

Mayor Park Jun-hee stated, "Along with the development of Gwanak, we have come to remember and preserve the footprints and roles of women who were witnesses and protagonists of local community history," adding, "I hope the 'Gwanak Her Story' discovery project will re-examine the roles of women who contributed to the development of the local community and serve as an opportunity to spread a culture of gender equality."

Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) operates "Mapo-gu Seoul Bookstart," providing picture books to 1,700 infants and toddlers.

Hosted by the Seoul Library and sponsored by Bookstart Korea, this project was established to provide opportunities for children to become familiar with books from an early age and to foster a reading culture and habit.

The district gifts age-appropriate book packages to infants and toddlers with the meaning of "Starting life with books." The book package consists of a Bookstart bag, two picture books, a guidebook, a reading guide booklet from the Children's Book Research Association, and Mapo-gu Bookstart information materials.

The support targets infants and toddlers born between 2019 and 2022 residing in Mapo-gu. Among those born during this period, infants under one year old are classified as Stage 1, and those over one year old as Stage 2, with picture books provided according to each age group. However, infants in Stage 2 must register as members on the Mapo-gu Public Library website.

Recipients can visit one of 34 implementing institutions in the area, including public libraries, small libraries, community service centers, health centers, Mapo-gu Multicultural Family Support Center, and Mapo-gu Childcare Support Center. When visiting, guardians must bring their ID, resident registration certificate, and baby health record book.

If visiting the library is difficult, free delivery service is available. After registering on the Mapo-gu Public Library website under the baby's name, the book package can be requested online.

The district plans to support 1,500 infants and toddlers through in-person pickup and 200 through delivery service, distributing on a first-come, first-served basis until the prepared book packages run out.

Additionally, until December, the district plans to conduct various linked programs using Bookstart books at district libraries such as Mapo Central Library and Seogang Library, including storytelling, traditional games, and children's songs.

For more details, visit the Mapo-gu Public Library website or contact the Central Library Team at Mapo Central Library.

A district official said, "We hope parents and babies form happy relationships by reading picture books together," adding, "We hope the Bookstart project provides equal access to books and educational opportunities for children."