Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Launches 'Joint Task Force for Employment Equality Disclosure System' with Unveiling Ceremony

Establishing an Institutional Foundation to Support Reductions in Gender Gaps
Actively Pursuing Key Tasks Required for System Implementation
"Transparent Disclosure of Gender-Based Employment and Wage Statistics"

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, together with the Korean Women's Development Institute, held a plaque unveiling ceremony for the "Employment Equality Disclosure System Joint Planning Team" on July 14 and officially began preparations for the implementation of the system next year.

Won Minkyoung, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, attended the plaque ceremony of the 'Employment Equality Disclosure Joint Planning Group' held at the Changseong-dong annex of the Seoul Government Complex on the afternoon of the 14th and gave a greeting. Photo by Gender Equality Ministry

The plaque unveiling ceremony was attended by key officials from related organizations, including Jeong Seong-ok, Gender Equality and Family Secretary to the President; Im Young-mi, Policy Chief of the Ministry of Employment and Labor; Lee Byung-hee, President of the Korea Labor Institute; and Park Jong-pil, Secretary-General of the Korea Labor-Management Development Foundation.

The planning team is a dedicated organization responsible for systematically disclosing gender-based employment and wage data at companies and public institutions, and for establishing a system to support enterprises in voluntarily reducing gender gaps.

The joint leadership of the planning team consists of the Director of Employment Equality Policy at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and a Research Fellow from the Korean Women's Development Institute. The team is also comprised of one deputy head and personnel from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Korean Women's Development Institute, and other relevant agencies.

Until the designation of a specialized employment equality agency next year, the planning team will actively promote key preparatory tasks needed for the system’s implementation, including: laying the groundwork for the introduction of the Employment Equality Disclosure System; effectively transferring the work related to Affirmative Action (AA), formerly handled by the Korea Labor-Management Development Foundation; preparing for the setup of a specialized agency (including staffing); and establishing a mid- to long-term roadmap to enhance the effectiveness of the system.

The government has been promoting the Employment Equality Disclosure System as a national agenda item in order to address the severe gender wage gap, which is among the highest in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

By systematically disclosing the status of gender-based employment and wages at companies and public institutions, the government is working to create a legal basis for overcoming structural gender disparities through amendments to the Basic Act on Gender Equality. Currently, nine related amendment bills are pending in the National Assembly.

Through the planning team, the government will prepare the necessary infrastructure for the system, including building the disclosure system, establishing the operational foundation for the specialized agency, and providing information and public relations efforts to companies.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to use the planning team to lay a stable foundation for the implementation of the Employment Equality Disclosure System and to establish various support systems to encourage the voluntary participation of companies. In order to ensure that public disclosures help to reduce real gaps, the ministry will also develop self-diagnosis tools for businesses, offer professional consulting, and introduce incentive support plans.

Won Minkyeong, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, stated, "Introducing the Employment Equality Disclosure System is the first institutional step to encourage companies to improve by transparently releasing the status of gender-based employment and wages," adding, "We will do our utmost to ensure that all preparations, including system establishment, legislation, and the designation of a specialized agency, proceed smoothly so that the system can be successfully implemented and take root, centering on the planning team."

Kim Jongsuk, President of the Korean Women's Development Institute, commented, "It is significant that the Employment Equality Disclosure System, which has been long recommended by international organizations such as the OECD, is now being promoted as a national agenda item. We will provide support so that the system operates effectively in the field and enhances the effectiveness of employment equality policy."

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