Even in the unfavourable subjective and objective situations prevailing now, our style of socialism is achieving a steady advance and development and the strength of our state is being built up day after day, and all these are inconceivable separated from the loyal and patriotic minds of our women including the women's union members who are pushing ahead one of the two wheels of the revolution along the road to victory indicated by the Party.
KIM JONG UN
Today People’s Korea is celebrating International Women’s Day along with the rest of humanity . International Women’s Day or more accurately International Working Women’s Day on March 8th was actually first proposed by the German socialist Clara Zetkin (who was later a leader of the Comintern and Communist Party of Germany ) in 1910 .
In People’s Korea International Women’s Day is an official public holiday and is celebrated in a number of ways ; by mass meetings , by different events and sports games and by women being presented with flowers by their husband and family members .
Women in the DPRK have much to celebrate on International Women’s Day unlike women in the capitalist world who have to suffer double and triple oppression and exploitation plus the burden of ever-increasing prices hitting family budgets.
On the 30th of July 1946 the Provisional People’s Committee of north Korea passed the Law on Sexual Equality which for the first time in history gave women equal rights with men , liberating women from centuries of double and triple oppression by feudalism. Among its many provisions was the stipulation that women should receive equal pay for equal work. This was 24 years before the UK adopted equal pay legislation . Even today despite legalisation in capitalist countries there still remains a big ‘gender pay gap ‘.
Later equal rights for women in the DPRK was enshrined in the Constitution as well as further legalisation in 2010 .Article 77 of the ‘Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ‘ states that ‘Women are accorded equal social status and rights with men.
The State shall afford special protection to mothers and children by providing maternity leave, reduced working hours for mothers with several children, a wide network of maternity hospitals, creches and kindergartens, and other measures.
The State shall provide all conditions for women to play their full roles in society.’
In People’s Korea, unlike the capitalist countries , legalisation on gender equality is backed up 100 per cent by practical and substantial measures .Childcare is free of charge and there is a big network of nurseries and creches including workplace creches and 24/7 nurseries . In the UK nurseries are very expensive . In People’s Korea the amount of maternity leave increased from 77 days in the 1970s to 150 days in the 1980s and a few years ago was increased to over 200 days which can be supplemented by regular and additional holidays . Women who have more than 3 children can work for 6 hours but get paid for an 8 hour day , something that is totally unheard in a capitalist society !
Women hold important and responsible positions in the DPRK . Some are deputies to the Supreme People’s Assembly and to local people’s assemblies . When I visited the DPRK in February 2019 I was shown around the Pyongyang Ryugyong Kimchi Pickle Factory by a woman manager .It is quite common in the DPRK for women to hold positions like director , vice director or manager or head teacher .
So in People’s Korea , gender equality is not a distant dream or a slogan but a reality . This is thanks to the great Juche-based socialist system and the guidance of the great leaders President KIM IL SUNG , Chairman KIM JONG IL and Marshal KIM JONG UN .
Dr Dermot Hudson
Chairman Korean Friendship Association UK
Chairman British Group for the Study of the Juche Idea
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