Pursuing a Women-Friendly City Where Policies Function in Everyday Life, Beyond Mere Designation
Since being designated as a Women-Friendly City by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family in 2023, Hapcheon County in South Gyeongsang Province has already entered its third year as a Women-Friendly City. Based on a gender equality policy foundation that has been built up over a long period, the county has firmly established itself as a Women-Friendly City. It has also made clear its administrative commitment to continuously promote and further develop women-friendly policies that are connected to residents' lives, focusing on gender equality, care, and safety.
In particular, Hapcheon County is demonstrating its direction and determination to put these policies into practice by seeking to become not just a city that has been designated as a Women-Friendly City in name, but a place where such policies function continuously in everyday life.
Group photo at Hapcheon-gun's 2026 agreement signing ceremony for new designation as a Women-Friendly City
◆ A solid gender equality policy foundation built from the ground up
Although it has been only two years since Hapcheon County was selected as a Women-Friendly City, its journey toward this goal goes back to 2003. In October 2003, the county created the Hapcheon County Women's Development Fund and launched its first projects to realize gender equality. Every year since then, it has identified and improved policy issues through gender impact assessment consulting on its projects.
As a result, in 2012 it was selected as an excellent institution for gender impact analysis and assessment promoted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. In 2022 and 2023, it was also selected as an excellent institution for gender impact assessment by Gyeongsangnam-do Province, and its work capabilities have been steadily recognized.
In addition, after receiving certification as a family-friendly institution from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family in 2016, the county has maintained this certification to the present by undergoing re-certification reviews every three years. Through this, it has also been working to create an organizational culture that supports employees in balancing work and family life.
Since 2020, the county has consistently participated in workshops and forums related to Women-Friendly Cities hosted by Gyeongsangnam-do Province to strengthen its policy capabilities. In 2022, it established the institutional foundation by enacting the "Ordinance on the Creation of a Women-Friendly City in Hapcheon County." It subsequently built gender-disaggregated statistics (2022 and 2025) and formulated the mid- to long-term master plan for the Women-Friendly City (2023). It also strengthened the basis for promoting women-friendly policies by putting in place a systematic operating framework, including assigning dedicated personnel, operating a resident participation group, and forming a Women-Friendly City Creation Committee.
Regarding gender impact assessment, the county has guided policy improvements through the enactment and revision of ordinances, consulting on project areas, and continuous monitoring. As a result, it was selected in 2012 as an "Excellent Institution for Implementing the 2011 Gender Impact Analysis and Assessment" promoted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and it was consecutively selected as an excellent institution in the "2022 and 2023 Gyeongsangnam-do Gender Impact Assessment." By increasing the rate of policy improvement through gender impact assessment, the county has continuously built a foundation for promoting gender equality policies.
◆ Designation and successful establishment as a Women-Friendly City
As a first step toward creating a Women-Friendly City, Hapcheon County formed a 30-member resident participation group through an open call so that residents could directly participate in policymaking. The group was divided into three subcommittees: family-friendly care, improvement of local safety, and empowerment of women's participation. It identified gender imbalances and inconveniences in daily life, monitored policies, proposed improvements, and carried out promotional activities. In particular, the project proposed by the participation group to establish a safe exercise section for residents along the Hwanggang Walking Trail was selected as a Gyeongsangnam-do Province resident participatory budgeting project, leading to tangible improvements in local safety.
To further strengthen interdepartmental collaboration, the county held policy development workshops and operated a women's employment council and a women's safety task council, thereby reinforcing the linkage between employment and safety. In addition, through collaboration among the private sector, public sector, and police, it implemented "Hapcheon Maehwa Dandani School," a village-level safety community project, and promoted various programs to enhance resident safety and capacity.
Furthermore, centered on the Childcare Support Center, the county has operated programs encouraging fathers to participate in childcare and strengthened support for child care, thereby easing women's caregiving burden and working to create a family-friendly environment. It also created "It-Da," a base space for women's activities, to foster networks among women and enhance their capacity for community participation. These efforts led to a new Women-Friendly City agreement in November 2023, and in 2025, only two years after its designation as a Women-Friendly City, the county reaped the achievement of receiving a Prime Minister's Commendation.
◆ Advancing toward a sustainable Women-Friendly City
Going forward, Hapcheon County plans to continue implementing projects related to the Women-Friendly City, focusing on building a gender-equal society, expanding care services, and strengthening the safety of youth and women. Its designation as a Women-Friendly City will remain valid through 2028.
Hapcheon County Mayor Kim Yooncheol said, "Hapcheon County is continuously implementing various policies to expand women's social participation and create a family-friendly environment," adding, "We will continue to review our project implementation system to enhance the sustainability and effectiveness of our policies, and we will further strengthen policy operations that are closely linked to residents' daily lives."
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