In the Republic of Korea, the stock exchange dedicated its opening bell-ringing ceremony to promoting gender equality in the technology and innovation sector, as part of the latest “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” campaign.

The newly established UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality in the Republic of Korea (the Centre) hosted its first International Women’s Day celebration at Hotel President in Seoul today. Over 100 diplomats and international development experts from almost 60 countries, including some 30 ambassadors and heads of international organizations based in Korea, gathered to reflect on the importance of gender equality and to reaffirm their support to UN Women’s mission.

That afternoon, more than 100 attendees gathered at the President Hotel in Seoul, Republic of Korea to celebrate International Women’s Day. They consisted of almost 30 ambassadors, seven regional heads of international organizations, and several gender experts, including Kisoon Lee, the vice minister from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

Minah Kang, Professor at Ewha Women’s University, said “The expert consultation provided an excellent conceptual framework on the development of women-technology indicators that links data, institutions, knowledge, and innovations.” She also emphasized the need for statistical measures and indicators to impact policy change and create knowledge on bridging the gender gap.

With support from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) of the Republic of Korea (“Korea”), the Centre has been established to improve the implementation of normative and policy frameworks and address discriminatory social norms and practices that perpetuate gender inequality in Asia and the Pacific. The UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality is the first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region.

United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and UN Women Deputy Executive Director, Anita Bhatia, visited the Republic of Korea on a three-day mission from 10 October 2022 to 12 October to meet with Korean Government agencies and participate in the 2022 Daejeon United Cities and Local Governments World Congress. The mission was accompanied by Sarah Knibbs, UN Women Regional Director a.i. for Asia and the Pacific, and Jeongshim Lee, Director of the UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality.

The UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality will provide data through comprehensive research and study to inform the development of gender equality policies; education and training for public officials and other stakeholders, and will establish partnership and campaigns with various organizations to contribute to promoting the culture of gender equality in the Asia-Pacific region.

United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and UN Women Deputy Executive Director Anita Bhatia will visit to the Republic of Korea on 10-12 October 2022. The purpose of the visit is to strengthen the collaboration between UN Women and the Government of the Republic of Korea and participate in the planning for the operation of the UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality.

In the past 18 months, by trapping women with their abusers, COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns have worsened the already-widespread violence against women while preventing many of them from getting help. But even those who do manage to contact the police come up against another long-standing challenge: a culture and system that treats the survivor as a big part of the problem.

Gender equality is not a women’s issue but a matter of human rights. The concept of “human right” has been interpreted differently according to society’s definition of who is a human being under which conditions. Women have achieved human rights through endless struggles and efforts; for example, the right to vote, the right to receive the same wages, and the right to wear pants were all rights that women had to acquire. I have been dedicated to the movement throughout my life.

Thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), for hosting the 12th session of the Seoul ODA International Conference.First of all, let me say that gender equality is always a result of political will. Gender equality does not come automatically. It does not arrive with a new generation; we have to actively work towards it. In every country of the world, gender inequality is about an imbalance in power, which normally favours men over women. Achieving gender equality requires negotiations around how society should be and political priorities and positions to change...

UN Women Deputy Executive Director Åsa Regnér will be on her first official visit to Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 13 to 14 September 2018. The visit is intended to continue building an already strong partnership with the Republic, aimed at achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment, both at home and abroad. She will be speaking at the 12th session of the Seoul ODA International Conference, on the importance of development cooperation and the official development...

More voices can bring more and real changes. Synergising the shared vision: ending gender-based violence (GBV), KWID has always been a big part of the relationship with UN Women. With 16 Days of Activism to say ‘no’ together to end violence against women across the globe, Sujeong Song, Programme Officer – EVAW, interviewed Dr. Myung-Sun Lee, President of Korean Women’s Development Institute (KWDI) on Friday, 25 November...

The risk of sexual harassment and assault strikes fear into the hearts of women in the Republic of Korea. In 2014, almost 1 in 4 women there said they had experienced sexual violence, according to a report released in 2014 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. To avoid being victimized, many women regularly alter their everyday behaviors when outdoors; they are thus forced to curb their own freedoms in public spaces meant for all. Possible solutions...