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A representative of the civic group Human Rights Foundation SARAM announces the results of a report on the human rights of social activists in Seoul on Nov. 28. (Park Jong-shik, staff photographer)

Chronic overwork, emotional labor, wages falling below the legal minimum -- these are not only phenomena taking place in blind spots between the cracks in human rights terms. According to a study, three out of 10 human rights activists -- people working for the sake of others’ human rights -- are suffering from harsh labor conditions, including pay that falls short of the minimum wage.

On Nov. 28, the civic group Human Rights Foundation SARAM and the More Human Rights Campaign announced findings from a “survey of activists for sustainable human rights campaigning” at a meeting at SARAM’s offices in Seoul’s Mapo District. The results of the survey, which was administered to 125 activists with 71 human rights groups (108 full-time, 17 part-time) over a 34-day period beginning on June 17, showed respondents complaining of both physical and psychological strain.

Survey of human rights activists

For full-time activists, long working hours were a basic part of the job. Fifty-five of the full-timers surveyed (51%) said they worked more than nine hours a day on average, while 36 (33.4%) reported working six or more days a week.

“I’m really worried about the toll it’s taking on my health,” said one Seoul-area activist who took part in an interview. “It’s been tough with the high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and so forth.”

A Busan-based human rights activist who lost a colleague to illness said, “It really drove it home for me that activists can’t be allowed to suffer with illness or lack of rest any longer.”

Another source of pressure for activists is the pay, which is often too low to cover the cost of living. Thirty-eight of the respondents (30.4%) said their allowances fell below the minimum wage. While full-time activists earned an average of around 1.81 million won (US$1,532) in allowances, the average for part-time activists was around 800,000 won (US$677.40). Interview participants noted that many of their colleagues were leaving their organization due to financial difficulties.

“We’re always paid below the minimum wage. It’s not easy [to keep going] if you have to raise a child or pay rent, or if someone in your family is sick,” one activist said.

The stress is even greater when the sacrifices fail to pay off with positive results for the campaign.

“You get really angry seeing how problems don’t get resolved and end up only growing. These days, I’ve been getting mad about things that I didn’t really get mad about before,” said one activist.

This has led to deepening concerns within civil society about “sustainable campaigning.” Yoon Jeong-won, head of the OB/GYN division of Green Hospital and an active campaigner for treatment of sexual assault survivors and abortion rights, announced plans to quit providing treatment at the hospital as of Dec. 28, citing symptoms of “burnout.”

“Things like relationships with colleagues are important for creating sustainable conditions for activists, since they are sources of stability and strength in the activists’ lives,” said Yeo Jin, secretary-general of the DongHaeng Activist Cooperative.

“We especially need discussions and policies for the psychological health of activists,” Yeo suggested.

By Kim Min-je, staff reporter

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