Women's Party (South Korea)

The Women's Party (Korean: 여성의당) is a South Korean single-issue political party founded on International Women's Day 2020 that advocates for feminism.[5][6] The party calls for greater representation of women and equality in politics and an end to all forms of violence, discrimination and inequality against women in the workplace.[7]

Women's Party
여성의당
Collective leadershipLee Ji-won
Chang Ji-yoo
Kim Jin-ah
Secretary-Generalvacant
Founded8 March 2020
IdeologyFeminism[1][2]
Political positionBig tent[3][4]
Colours  Purple
Seats in the National Assembly
0 / 300
Municipal mayor and Gubernatorial
0 / 17
Municipal Mayors
0 / 226
Seats within local government
0 / 2,926
Website
https://www.womensparty.kr
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History

Establishment

The Women's Party was officially established on March 8, 2020 on International Women's Day.[8] The new electoral system which expanded the opportunities for minority parties, prompted the movement to establish a Women's party spearheaded by active young and senior feminists. In 10 days, the organizers were able to qualify the group to register as an official political party. They gathered support in 5 municipal and provincial level parties (Gyeonggi, South Gyeongsang, Busan, Seoul, Incheon) in addition to in total 8,200 members nationwide. On the Inauguration day, Kim Eun-joo, Yoon Seo-yeon, Lee Ji-won, Won So-yoo, Chang Ji-yoo, Kim Jin-ah, and Lee Seong Suk were selected as the first joint representatives to represent the diverse age brackets of their female constituents.

2020 South Korean general elections

The Women's Party’s 10 major pledges addressed issues such as closing the gender pay gap, women’s housing rights, reducing the burden of childcare, right to health etc., and prioritized curbing digital sexual crimes.

The party nominated four candidates for proportional representation: Lee Ji Won (First and second party representative), Lee Gyeong Ok (Chairperson of the South Gyeongsang Provincial Party), Park Bo Ram, Kim Ju Hee.

With 208,697 (0.74%) votes during its first election, the party came in 10th among parties who won seats in proportional representation.[9] Though the party did not win any seats in the National Assembly, the support the party received was considered a historic feat and indicator of the growing influence of feminism in South Korea.[10]

Party convention 2020

Following the general elections, the Women's Party held a virtual party convention on September 5 amid Covid-19.[11] Lee Ji-won, Chang Ji-yoo, and Kim Jin-ah were newly elected as the second representatives.

Policies

As a single-issue party, its main policies include:[12]

  • Guarantee equal representation for women by building a more gender equal representative democracy
  • Create a nation that safeguards women from violence and hate
  • Build a society without socio-economic discrimination against women, and with equal access to labor · equal treatment for equivalent labor
  • Recognize women’s contributions to family life and reproduction. Develop and implement policies that guarantee the rights, autonomy, and welfare of women.
  • Implement gender equal welfare policies centered on the rights of individual citizens by moving away from the paradigm of current welfare policies that institute the concept of the normative family
  • Eliminate all forms of discrimination and privilege that deprive women of equal opportunity
  • Develop a creative society that guarantees a culture of equality and an individual’s right to enjoy this culture
  • Represent the voice and experience of female sexual minorities
  • Build peace through eradication of patriarchal military culture
  • Proactively respond to future issues such as technological development and climate change from a feminist standpoint

Political Position

Unlike mainstream feminist political parties that range from center-left to left-wing political positions, the Women's Party is big tent with members ranging from conservatives to progressives.[13] The Women's Party focuses on broadening female representation, actualizing gender equality in politics, and fighting against inequality women experience at different stages of their lives.[14][15] In order to accomplish the party's agenda, the Women's Party actively collaborates with various other political parties[16][17] such as Democratic Party of Korea, Justice Party, Basic Income Party, Green Party Korea and organizations such as 모두를위한낙태죄폐지공동행동, 양육비해결총연합회[18]

See also

References
  1. "'여성의당' 탄생한다…"페미니즘 물결 이후 첫 총선, 국회 얼굴 바꾸겠다"". 경향신문. 2020-02-10. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
  2. "South Korean feminist party plans school to train 'winning' candidates". Reuters. 2020-04-28.
  3. "텔레그램 'n번방, 박사방사건계기, 여성의당 약진하나?". 신문고뉴스. 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2020-05-02. 여성의당은 보수 진보 등의 정치적 이념보다 여성권익 찾기를 추구하는 포괄정당을 지향하고 있다.
  4. "Where does a movement go when the public can't move?". 신문고뉴스. 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2020-05-02. “We’re ready to work together with other parties, as long as we can agree on the policies for women,” Kim said. “The Women’s Party doesn’t have a left or a right.”
  5. "한국 최초 여성주의 정당 '여성의당' 창당 본격화… "여성에 대한 모든 혐오 반대"". 여성신문 (in Korean). 2020-02-15. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  6. "South Korea's new feminist party aims to shake up patriarchal nation". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  7. ""남성 중심 정치에 반대합니다"… '여성의당' 15일 발기인대회 [발기취지문 전문]". 여성신문 (in Korean). 2020-02-14. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  8. "'여성의 당' 창당 첫발 뗐다". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  9. "[기자의 눈] 20만명이 선택한 '여성의당'… "여성정치 역사의 진보"". 여성신문 (in Korean). 2020-04-16. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  10. "Where does a movement go when the public can't move?". The Ballot. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  11. "여성의당 전당대회, 5일 유튜브 생중계로 진행". 여성신문 (in Korean). 2020-09-03. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  12. "Women's Party official website". womensparty.kr. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  13. "[신문고] 텔레그램 'n번방, 박사방' 사건계기, 여성의당 약진하나?". 신문고. 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  14. "Women's Party website". womensparty.kr. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  15. "[월간 여성의당①] 남성들로부터 '지지 전화' 많이 받았다". 중앙뉴스 (in Korean). 2020-05-10. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  16. ""20년간 방치된 '스토킹범죄처벌법', 21대 국회 최우선 과제로"". 여성신문 (in Korean). 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  17. 강민경 (2020-08-10). "기본소득·녹색·여성의당, 기본소득 도입 연석회의 출범". 연합뉴스 (in Korean). Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  18. "여성의당, "더 이상 미룰 수 없다!"". 경기매일 (in Korean). 2020-05-18. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
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