Won Min-kyung, Candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, Expresses Ambitions to "Translate the Voices of the Vulnerable into Policy"

On the 18th, Won Min-kyung, the candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, shared her beliefs and policy direction during her first day heading to work.

As she commuted to the Korea Youth Activity Center in Seodaemun District, Seoul, she told reporters, "I believe that the numerous lives of the vulnerable I encountered in courts and on the streets have brought me here."

Won explained, "Over the past 20 years as a lawyer, I have had the opportunity to hear the voices of those who find it difficult to speak up from the most marginalized areas of society and to convey their messages."

When she was nominated as a ministerial candidate and felt hesitant, the first thing that came to her mind was the faces of those vulnerable individuals. She expressed her determination to ensure that their voices translate into policies and systems that create substantial change.

Her top priority is the stability of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and its expansion and strengthening into an Equal Gender Family Ministry.

Won identified "the stability of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and its expansion into an Equal Gender Family Ministry" as the most urgent policy task.

She expressed concern that the ministry’s ability to drive policy may have weakened due to ongoing controversies about its existence and a prolonged absence of ministerial leadership, emphasizing, "The ministry will become an organization that works diligently for the rights of those who cannot voice their concerns across society again."

In particular, she stated, "The top priority is to create a powerful Equal Gender Family Ministry that strengthens the comprehensive coordination and governance functions of gender equality policies and expands the ministry's status and policies."

Based on this foundation, she also presented plans to establish robust support systems for issues such as relationship violence, digital sexual violence, prostitution, women's participation in the economy, resolving gender discrimination in the labor market, and providing support for vulnerable families and youth in crisis.

A specialist in family and gender law, Won was nominated as the candidate for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on the 13th, previously serving as the chair of the Women's Rights Committee of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, and has been a part-time commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission since July 2023. She also holds a director position at the Korean Women's Hotline, providing her with extensive experience in the field of women's rights.

Focusing on Closing Gender Gaps and Protecting the Vulnerable

Won evaluated that while the level of gender equality in South Korean society has improved, serious issues remain, such as the gender wage gap, safety gaps in experiencing gender violence, gender gaps in caregiving and household labor, and gaps in the perception of gender equality among the younger generation.

She remarked, "I aim to prioritize addressing various gaps in implementing policies."

Regarding discussions on amending the crime of rape, she explained, "We aim to resolve the blind spots in the current criminal law that fail to penalize perpetrators and to consider the standards of sexual violence from the perspective of fundamental rights," promising to create a public forum for diverse opinions to be discussed.

On the establishment of comprehensive anti-discrimination laws, she assessed that "the necessity and significance are great, as it would provide means to effectively respond to unreasonable discrimination and protect the fundamentals of social minorities," expressing her intention to collaborate actively with the National Human Rights Commission.

Won asserted, "If appointed as minister, I will do my utmost to achieve the ministry's national tasks, which include ensuring the healthy growth of children and adolescents, supporting diverse families, realizing a gender-equal society where equal opportunities and rights are guaranteed, and ensuring the safety and health rights of women."

Image source: News1