By Yoon Sojung 

March 8 is International Women’s Day, as designated by the U.N. in 1975. 

The day was initially to pay tribute to the female workers in the textile industry who gathered in New York for a large-scale strike in 1908 demanding the right to vote and to form labor unions. 

Korea has also marked the day since 1985 with a range of events each year. 

The atmosphere this year, however, is quite different because this year’s events are all speaking with one united voice: sharing the pain of the victims of sexual violence who have come forth as part of the #MeToo movement and to show solidarity for real change. 

In Korea, women have suffered from lower social status for many years. According to the glass ceiling index announced on Feb. 15 by the London-based weekly The Economist, Korea was ranked lowest among the 29 OECD countries in terms of sexual equality.

The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women also criticized Korea concerning the issue of gender inequality, including unequal incomes between male and female workers who do the same job, and sexual violence, in its 69th session in Geneva on Feb. 15. 

In the meantime, the #MeToo movement, which first rose up in the U.S. in October, began in Korea this past January and has rapidly spread across all sectors of society, revealing victims of sexual violence everywhere, ranging from prosecutors, politicians and legal circles, through to the culture industry, the arts, and education. As such, more and more people are raising their voices to call for severe disciplinary actions against those found guilty, to set up countermeasures to stop sexual discrimination, and to improve women’s human rights situations. 

To reflect their desire for equality, in Seoul alone more than 10 events, both large or small and varied in form, were being held on March 8. They included the so-called “white rose campaign” where civic groups offered white roses to passers-by in Daehangno, Sinchon, Gangnam and at other busy subway stations. The flowers symbolize solidarity and support for the fight against sexual violence.

At Gwanghwamun Square, civic groups gathered for the “Leave Work at 3 p.m.” campaign to protest the issue of unequal pay between male and female workers doing the same jobs. At the National Assembly in Yeouido, about 500 people attended a ceremony to mark International Women’s Day. A street march was held in the popular shopping district of Myeong-dong. At Seoul Women’s Plaza, a special concert was held to mark the day.

Many related events were also held across the country, including in major cities such as Busan, Changwon, Suwon and Jeonju. All these events had the same message of support and solidarity for the #MeToo movement and had the goal of eradicating sexual violence. 

President Moon Jae-in delivers a message of comfort and encouragement for the #MeToo movement in his speech at the Korea National Prayer Breakfast at the KINTEX convention center in Ilsan in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do Province, on March 8. (Cheong Wa Dae)

The government has also expressed its will to participate in the mass movement. 

President Moon Jae-in said on March 8 that, “I would like to deliver words of comfort and encouragement to the victims who experienced sexual discrimination and who have recently revealed their pain as part of the #MeToo movement.” He was speaking at the Korea National Prayer Breakfast at the KINTEX convention center in Ilsan in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do Province.

Earlier on March 4, President Moon also said that the #MeToo movement is leading Korea to become a truly gender-equal society where women’s human rights are being realized, and further that it would become a society where each segment of society is recognized equally. 

Finally, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family have both announced that they would take part in the #WithYou movement to build a society that protects victims of sexual assault. In their official statements issued on March 7, the two organizations vowed to work hard for the revolution of the social structure and to realize a gender-equal world. 

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