Credit: Public domain.
Sometimes, the lack of data can be an important data point in itself. According to the Hankyoreh 한겨레, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family 여성가족부 has not released its annual report on gender equality for 2023, despite completing its review of 2022 data three months ago. The Ministry said it was waiting on approval from the Prime Minister’s Committee for Gender Equality 양성평등위원회, which has yet to schedule a single meeting this year.
The Basic Act on Gender Equality 양성평등기본법, the 1995 law that created the Gender Equality Ministry, mandates that the ministry publish an annual report that includes the National Gender Equality Index 국가 성평등지수. The index measures gender equality in eight areas including economic participation, political participation, education, and safety.
But the Yoon Suk-yeol 윤석열 administration, which was elected in part by pandering to rank misogyny among young South Korean men, has dragged its feet on releasing the 2023 report, although the Gender Equality Ministry finished tabulating the National Gender Equality Index on December 20, 2023.
