The World Economic Forum released its annual Global Gender Gap Index Tuesday, and confirmed that the level of gender equality in South Korea not only falls in the bottom ranks but also continues to plummet. According to the 2009 report, South Korea ranks 115th out of 134 countries. In 2007, South Korea was 97th out of 128 countries, and last year slipped to 108th out of 130 countries. The only countries ranking below South Korea are Islamic states in the Middle East, and there are some Middle East states of Kuwait and Jordan that ranked ahead of South Korea. Neighboring Asian countries, including Japan and China, all came in ahead of South Korea.

Even more serious than the drop in rankings is the fact that the actual gender gap continues to widen from 0.6409 in 2007 to 0.6154 last year to 0.6146 this year. These are shameful and sad numbers for a country that boasts of being a top ten world economic power.

The results are not altogether surprising, as the Lee Myung-bak administration had raised a flap over the possible abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality as it took office. Unlike previous administrations that have shown efforts towards achieving gender equity by appointing women to major Cabinet positions and by instituting quotas for women, policies for gender equity have as good as vanished under the current administration. The Ministry of Gender Equality has been reduced to a mini-ministry with one division.

Moreover, besides the person serving as the country’s minister of gender equality, there is only one other woman in the Cabinet, the person currently serving as the minister for health, welfare and family affairs. In addition, the percentage of women among senior public official has shown a steady decrease, from 6.23 percent in 2006 to 4.02 percent in 2007 and 3.68 percent in 2008.

An even bigger problem than the political gap is the economic gap. The index for economic disparity among South Korean women was 0.5204. This reflects disparities in areas such as economic participation, compensation and promotion. This is the result of the administration’s failure to present appropriate measures to rectify the continued loss of jobs among women and the continuously widening wage differential in the aftermath of the economic crisis.

In his congratulatory address for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) World Forum the day before yesterday, President Lee said, “Individual happiness and quality of life must be viewed as measures of social development.” He called for the enhancement of national prestige and the realization of an “advanced South Korea,” however, he is unable to speak of happiness or advancement while closing his eyes to discrimination against women, who represent half of the country. Until the shameful reality of gender discrimination is corrected, promoting an “advanced South Korea” will remain an empty slogan.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]