Newly-elected President Roh Moo-hyun recently nominated four women ministers for the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Justice, Environment, and Gender Equality, respectively, in his new government, increasing the expectation towards reduced sexual discrimination in this society. About 24 percent of politicians today are women.
The status of women in business is also gaining ground through the advancement of several women on both the international and national stage. Recently, the CNN broadcasting station named Kim Sung Joo, the head of Sung Joo International Ltd., as the "Leader of the new millenium." She came into the spotlight as the most successful woman CEO in Korea. Sohn Jie-ae ("81, Political Science), the chief of the CNN Seoul bureau, was became the president of the Seoul Foreign Correspondent Club (SFCC) this year.
In a bid to stress the importance of the female leadership, Ewha is holding various lecture series this year and one of them is "Korean Women"s Bodies and Cultural Attitudes." Moreover, the graduate school is gaining more spotlight as an initiator of promoting women-related issues. The department of Women"s Studies provides about 68 courses related to women in various aspects of our society.
Women leadership is also reflected by the blossoming of online sites related to professional these days. Iwillb.com (www.iwillb.com) is a professional web site for women that provides information regarding job employment, weekly features of well-known women CEO"s in Korea, and leadership academies. Leadership academies teach how women can become ambitious and how they can cope effectively with difficult situations in the workplace or in other areas where there are a lot of conflicts between men and women. Iwillb.com runs the "Iwillb Leadership Academy," which was established in hopes of encouraging women to actively get involved in society.
There have also been books published recently that includes guidelines for successful women in the workplaces. These books serve as the springboard for establishing a better social environment in various sectors of our society. Kim Hyo-sun, the president of "bizwoman," has recently published her book titled?"In The Name Of Women, Be Successful Fairly and Sincerely." This book covers various tips for becoming successful women professionals as well as information about how such women managed to reach higher status in male-centered society. Kim says, "women must leans ways to fully adapt to any working environment with a greaness of vision. L hope " and how those professionals managed to reach higher status in the male-centered society. Kim says, "Women must learn ways to fully adapt to any working environment with great visions. I hope more books related to women in jobs that guide women workers will be published to share experiences with others."
Changes are slow come, but they will certainly never come without the successes of each and every woman the who wants to make a difference.
quicksilve@ewha.ac.kr