2030 Youth Discuss Gender Conflict: "The Cause is Gender Stereotypes, Social Consensus Needed"

Minister Kim Hyun-sook of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Holds Town Hall Meeting with 2030 Youth
Calls for the Necessity of Gender Equality Education and Strengthening the Ministry's Role in Gender Equality

Minister Kim Hyun-sook of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is discussing the causes and solutions to gender conflict issues as perceived by young people in their 20s and 30s during the "Town Hall Meeting with Youth" held on the evening of the 30th at Local Stitch in Sogong-dong, Seoul.

"The main reason gender conflicts arise is the lack of consensus on how much women are suffering." (Female college student in her 20s)

"There needs to be institutional support for difficulties such as not receiving proper compensation for labor after military service or career interruptions due to parental leave." (Male college student in his 20s)

On the afternoon of the 30th, 23 young people in their 20s and 30s, including students and office workers, gathered at Local Stitch in Jung-gu, Seoul, for a 'Town Hall Meeting with Youth' hosted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to discuss the causes of and solutions to gender conflicts.

The causes of gender conflicts identified by the youth in their 20s and 30s were gender stereotypes and gender discrimination within families. A male college student in his 20s said, "I major in child and family studies, but I hear comments like 'Why would a man take care of a child?'" A male graduate student in his 30s said, "I hope people see us as individuals rather than holding stereotypes like 'men are like this, women are like that.'" A woman in her 20s who graduated from a women's university said, "Even within my family, I was discriminated against during holidays regarding meals and allowances. The preference for sons is the cause of gender conflict, and gender discrimination within families has expanded into society."

A man in his 20s who identified himself as an industrial technical personnel said, "While I currently accept that military service is mandatory, it will become harder to accept in the future," and added, "Proper compensation at about the minimum wage level should be provided." Women in their 20s pointed out the need for improvements regarding exposure to sex crimes such as illegal filming and dating violence, and the problem of victims being highlighted when these issues are addressed.

Kim Hyun-sook, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is discussing the causes and solutions to gender conflict issues as perceived by young people in their 20s and 30s at the 'Town Hall Meeting with Youth' held on the 30th at Local Stitch in Sogong-dong, Seoul.

There was also an opinion that the structure of gender discrimination is even more entrenched in local areas. A female startup CEO in her 30s said, "In local areas, the presence of 'women' is not visible, and even in business meetings, I often hear questions like 'Did you get permission from your husband? Who takes care of your children?'" She added, "Daegu and Pohang are 5 to 10 years behind Seoul. If the central government does not raise awareness, it is difficult to change things locally."

As a solution to gender conflicts, a female college student in her 20s, Ms. I, said, "To eliminate gender stereotypes, gender equality education is necessary in schools and should be made a regular subject."

Amid efforts to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and reorganize its structure following the launch of the new government, there were also opinions that the new ministry should strengthen its role in gender equality policies and resolving gender conflicts. A male college student in his 20s said, "Women or men are still restricted from entering certain fields, and gender policies are needed to secure group diversity." He added, "The ministry in charge of gender policies is the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. To dispel concerns about 'female bias,' the name should be changed or the organization reorganized, but the need and social mission of a ministry responsible for gender equality still exist."

Minister Kim said, "The principle of abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family remains unchanged, but its roles and functions cannot be eliminated. We are discussing under what framework and platform to carry out these roles, and recently held a closed forum to discuss the achievements, roles, and limitations of the ministry over the past 10 years." He added, "We are studying cases from other countries on how to incorporate the ministry’s roles, and even if it takes time, we will listen to the opinions of related organizations."