Thursday 30 July 2020

74 years since women became equal in People's Korea !

                                                         

74 years ago today People's Korea took a revolutionary and radical measure that struck hard at centuries old feudal oppression of women . The law made women legally equally with men in all fields of society . Under feudalism in Korea women had been severely oppressed , they were not allowed out of the home and some women did not even have their own name ( they were just referred to as 'mother of ....." ) .
                                                             
The law gave women equal pay some 29 years before British women enjoyed the same rights under the Equal Pay Act of 1975.
                                                   
The Law on Sexual Equality was buttressed by Article 77 of the Socialist Constitution of the DPRK , by articles 31 and 37 of the DPRK Socialist Labour Law 1978 and by further legalisation in 2010.
In the DPRK practical measures have been taken to ensure equality for women such as a big network of kindergartens and nurseries including even 24/7 nurseries . Women with more than 3 children can work for 6 hours but get paid for 8 hours . This measure does not have parallels in other countries .
In People's Korea women hold many important positions such as vice Foreign Minister , member of the State Affairs Commission , Member of the Political Bureau of the Workers Party of Korea , deputies to the Supreme People's Assembly , managers of factories and headteachers of schools.
The DPRK is one of the few Asian countries to have a statue of a woman leader ( Mrs Kim Jong Suk )
Women in People's Korea have their own organisation , the Socialist Women's Union of Korea which has branches everywhere and represents women .
A healthy climate has been created . Prostitution was prohibited by the 1946 law and pornography is nowhere to be seen in the DPRK ! Contrast this with the capitalist countries and US-occupied south Korea . Capitalist countries are flooded with pornography , it is everywhere and creates a climate of sexual violence and objectifying women . In south Korea many women serve as prostitutes for the US army and in south Korea in the 1960s the sex industry accounted for almost 25% of south Korea's total gross national product !!! ( what a scandal !) .
                                         
People's Korea is the land of true equality for women !

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