Naju City Designated as a 'Women-Friendly City'... Promoting Gender Equality Culture

Excellent Policy Evaluation for 'Naju-type 365-day Hourly Childcare' and Others

Naju City in Jeollanam-do has been designated as a ‘2024 Women-Friendly City’ by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

According to the city on the 21st, a women-friendly city refers to a city where women and men participate equally in local policies and development processes, realizing women’s empowerment, care, and safety.

Naju City Hall exterior view.

Every year, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family selects local governments with policy implementation will and foundational establishment, evaluating their performance in projects aligned with the five major goals of women-friendly cities to make the final designation. The five major goals are ‘Establishing a foundation for gender equality promotion,’ ‘Expanding economic and social participation,’ ‘Enhancing community safety,’ ‘Creating a family-friendly (care) environment,’ and ‘Strengthening community activity capabilities.’

The city was first designated as a women-friendly city in 2018. Then, in September this year, it compiled the women-friendly city development projects it had been promoting and submitted the designation application to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, achieving the designation outcome.

The city’s related policies such as ‘Naju-type women-friendly enterprise support,’ ‘Support for safety equipment for single women households and stores,’ ‘Naju-type 365-day part-time childcare,’ and ‘Women-friendly city creation contest’ received excellent evaluations in the designation process.

Among these, the 365-day part-time childcare is a city policy project aimed at resolving childcare concerns faced by parents due to urgent circumstances such as dual-income households, weekend/night shifts, emergency medical treatment, and hospitalization. It provides year-round, 24-hour childcare services to families urgently needing childcare, greatly contributing to alleviating parenting burdens and receiving high praise.

Starting with the first branch, Kinderbrain Daycare Center in Bitgaram-dong last year, the city has opened and operated the 2nd and 3rd part-time childcare rooms this year in Nampyeong-eup and Songwol-dong. This project was recognized as an excellent case of ‘Active Administration’ by Jeollanam-do last year and received the Jeollanam-do Governor’s Commendation. It was also selected as an excellent case in the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s ‘Active Administration Competition’ this year and is scheduled to receive the Minister of the Interior and Safety Award on the 26th.

The city plans to sign an agreement with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family next month and strengthen its position as a women-friendly city by expanding policies that citizens can feel over the next five years.

Mayor Yoon Byung-tae said, “Through the women-friendly city project, we will do our best to activate women’s participation in the local community and create a city where socially vulnerable groups are safe, women’s jobs are guaranteed, and childcare is ensured.”