The amendments of the constitution in 1987 first spawned the founding blocks for the "Equal Employment for Both Sexes Law" aimed to grant equality to women to be established. The current president of Ewha Womans University, Shin In-ryung, and former professor of law, Yoon Hoo-jung, are the pioneers of the revised bill that first specifically emphasized equality between men and women. This bill later became the six Articles created to uproot the unfairness women were facing, brought forth by the joining forces of women politicians in the congress and the Korea Women's Association United (KWAU) which was first created to unite the power of women's rights organizations striving. Then, Kim El-lim, a researcher at the Korean Women's Development Institute and Lee Eun-young who was a Law professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, actually realized the constitution of "The Equal Employment for Both Sexes Law. Women's rights groups joined hands to raise petitions concerning the law and gained support of the public by leading demonstrations. This is just one of the key pieces of legislation that has made Korean women's lives better in the best two decades.
Other laws rectified by women to enhance the lives of females are "Domestic Violence Restriction Law in 1997 and "Sexual Discrimination Restriction Law in 1999. In 2004 a law prohibiting prostitution was set down.
Women's relentless struggles to receive more rights and equal treatment in the Korean society have successfully flourished the laws mentioned above. Regarding the abolishment of the 'hoju' system, Yoon says that it is the role of women to fully take advantage of the eradication and blossom as today's competent young leaders.
임리영 기자
rhiealways@ewhain.net