여성의 좋은 일자리 제고를 위한 남녀고용평등법 개정 방향

Abstract

1. Introduction The current set of laws governing employment of women including the Act on Equal Employment for Both Sexes is required to take right directions in order to tackle issues on the employment of women. One of the key issues in recalibrating general direction of such laws is how we can revise them best while putting stress on improving women’s economic status all without losing focuson the expansion of women’s equal engagement in society. In amending the Act on Equal Employment for Both Sexes, lawmakers need to focus on expanding the fair engagement in society by women as well as underpinning women’s economic status and economic strength. In short, they need to pay attention to increasing good jobs for women. 2. Need for change in family support policy from balancing job home to balancing job and life Men are being increasingly alienated from their own families while working extended hours in the work-centric culture, while women are forced to shoulder double burdens of job and childrearing when dual income family is the only option left for them in order to sustain their family. The time is ripe to rethink about the society’s general perception and social structure with regard to the balance of work and family. The policy needs to change from the one that balances work and home on the basis of women being burdened with housekeeping and childrearing to another that balances work and life in which both male and female workers take equal responsibility for family life. 3. Need for change in general social awareness to establish labor-management relation based on gender equality In order to establish a labor-management relationship in the workplace based on gender equality, it is urgently required to form a social consensus on general improvement in social awareness of the issue. The labor-management relation that is based on gender equality can be realized only when the gender equality is being implemented not only at the level of collective labor-management relation but also at the level of individual labor-management relation, and when the work culture is changed to one that pays respect to balancing work and life. 4. Key issues that need urgent amendment in the Act on Equal Employment for Both Sexes 1) Provisions on the balanced support for work and home in the Act should be separated In order to prevent interruption of job career of women and resolve subsequent low birthrate through expansion of institutional support for the balance between work and home and introduction of other various related policy initiatives, the laws on equal employment for both sexes, which govern resolution of unequal employment of women, improvement of gender equality and promotion of female employment and other laws on the balance between job and life, which govern childrearing and child care as well as family care, should be separated for differentiated approach. 2) Enhancement of affirmative action to improve employment of women and its practical effectiveness Beginning in 2006, various affirmative actions designed to ensure equality opportunity for employment in hiring and promotion both sexes have been implemented in government agencies and private companies. In particular, it is required to take various policy initiatives to improve practical effectiveness of the affirmative action enforced currently along with firm will of the government to implement them including raising the share of woman executives in public institutions by reflecting the results of affirmative action in their respective annual performance assessment. 3) Need for introducing ‘Quota System for Parental Leave for Fathers’ A social consensus should be formed that child rearing is not sole responsibility of women but shared one of both parents so that fathers may participate in the child rearing more proactively. More specifically introduction of ‘Quota System for Parental Leave for Father’ is required. The quota system would increase awareness of and participation in the child rearing of men by allowing them to shift their focus from work places where hesitation and nervousness to leave work on time and repeated night overtime are prevalent. In conclusion, the Act on Equal Employment for Both Sexes should be amended in ways that would shift focus of policy from balance between work and home to balance between work and life and thereby resolving economic inequality in employment and difference between sexes facing female workers. On the other hand, social discussion is required to amend the Act so that institutional mechanism that would promote establishment of labor-management relations based on gender equality should be established.