Ministry of Gender Equality Merged into Ministry of Health and Welfare... Concerns Over Setbacks in Gender Equality and Women's Employment Policies

Announcement of Government Reorganization Plan Including 'Abolition of Ministry of Gender Equality'
New Population, Family, and Gender Equality Headquarters Established in Ministry of Health and Welfare
Head of Headquarters Positioned Between Vice Minister and Minister, Equivalent to Chief Negotiator
Ministry of Employment to Handle Women's Employment Policy, Only One Department Assigned

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The government has announced a reorganization plan transferring the main functions of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, with only women's employment functions moving to the Ministry of Employment and Labor. While the MB administration had proposed abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family but only ended up significantly downsizing it, the Yoon Seok-yeol administration has proposed consolidating most of the ministry's functions into the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The government reorganization plan announced by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on this day includes transferring youth, family, gender equality, and rights promotion functions to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and establishing a new Population, Family, and Gender Equality Headquarters. Women's employment functions will be transferred to the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The status of the newly established head of the Population, Family, and Gender Equality Headquarters will be between minister and vice minister, equivalent to the head of the Trade Negotiation Headquarters in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety explained the reason for the reorganization, stating, "Youth and family affairs are currently carried out separately by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and population, child, and elderly affairs by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. As seen in cases such as childcare and youth protection projects, overlapping functions between ministries cause confusion and inefficiency in local communities and policy fields."

Concerns have been raised that abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and transferring related functions to the Ministry of Health and Welfare will lead to setbacks in gender equality policies and loss of momentum in women's employment policies, including for women with career interruptions.

Kwon Kim Hyun-young, director of the Women's Reality Research Institute, criticized on social media, "Abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and establishing a Population, Family, and Gender Equality Headquarters sounds like telling people to get married and have children when the time comes." She added, "The problem is that the Ministry of Employment and Labor has not had women's employment functions until now. Transferring the work to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family won't solve the problem; it's a total wrong answer."

An official familiar with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said, "With population aging, it is important to bring women with career interruptions into the labor market, but given that the Ministry of Employment and Labor has only one division related to women's employment, it is doubtful whether they can properly handle women's employment tasks." The official added, "Since the Ministry of Employment and Labor mainly operates centers focused on support funds such as unemployment benefits, their perspective on women's employment is inevitably different, and there is a high possibility that women's employment policies will be insufficient."

Kim Hyun-sook, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, said at a briefing held after reporting on the 'Measures to Strengthen Support for Youth Inside and Outside Schools' on this day, "The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has been specialized for women, and even its name was 'Ministry of Gender Equality and Family,' focusing on women. Now, gender equality policies will be more transitioned and expanded to policies for both men and women."

This is the second time since its establishment in 2001 that a plan to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has been proposed. Previously, the Lee Myung-bak administration pledged to abolish the ministry and it was at risk of being consolidated into the Ministry of Health and Welfare. In 2008, family and childcare policy functions were transferred to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, reducing it to the 'Ministry of Women,' but in 2010, youth and family functions were returned, and it was reorganized back into the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family consists of 2 offices, 2 bureaus, and 3 divisions, with 279 employees as of July. The ministry oversees 26 related laws, including the Sexual Violence Prevention Act, Child and Youth Sexual Protection Act, Framework Act on Gender Equality, and Domestic Violence Prevention Act. Its budget was 1.465 trillion won in 2022 and 1.5505 trillion won in 2023. Next year's budget is allocated as follows: △ Gender Equality 109 billion won △ Rights 137.2 billion won △ Youth 237.2 billion won △ Family 1.025 trillion won △ Administrative Support 42.1 billion won. The family and youth budget accounts for 81.4% of the total.

Since President Yoon Seok-yeol posted a one-line pledge to 'abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family' on his Facebook during his presidential campaign in January, his approval rating soared, and he has consistently maintained the abolition stance. Recently, as the president's approval rating fell to 24%, some interpret the abolition plan as a card to change the political situation. Although the government reorganization plan focusing on abolishing the ministry has been announced, it is expected to face difficulties passing the National Assembly, where the Democratic Party holds the majority. Opposition from women's organizations is also anticipated.

Opposition members of the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee stated, "It is obvious that the family, youth, and gender equality functions performed by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will shrink." They added, "As Minister Kim Hyun-sook mentioned, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family collaborates extensively with other ministries, and it is questionable whether gender equality work, which has been difficult even under a minister-led ministry, can be led by a vice minister-level headquarters. There is serious concern about setbacks in gender equality policies due to the absence of a women's policy control tower."

Opposition members of the Gender Equality and Family Committee further said, "Moreover, sexual crimes against women continue unabated, and the solid glass ceiling and everyday gender discrimination persist. There is a mountain of work to be done for family policies without blind spots and for youth protection and support. It is not the time to lower the status of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family but rather to empower and strengthen its unique functions and roles." They urged, "The government and ruling party should immediately stop pushing for the abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and prepare measures to strengthen its authority and functions for the realization of substantive gender equality."

After the abolition plan was announced on the 4th, 286 women's civil society organizations stated, "The Yoon Seok-yeol government and the People Power Party should listen to the voices of women and countless citizens opposing the abolition of the ministry and immediately stop the attempt to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family." They warned, "If the position to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is maintained, it will face strong national resistance. If political tricks are used again by holding women's human rights hostage, we will not hesitate to engage in any full-scale struggle."