[Interview] Nam Insoon: "A Gender-Equal Assembly Needs More Than Numbers; Women Must Participate in Decision-Making"

"Equal Representation of Men and Women in the National Assembly Requires a Legal Basis in the Public Official Election Act"
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family's Role: "Coordination and Acceleration"; Emphasis on Improving Care and Employment

Nam Insoon, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stressed that women's participation in politics must be expanded and that more women should be included in the National Assembly's decision-making structure to make it more gender-equal. The goal, she said, is not simply to increase the number of women lawmakers, but to ensure women are represented across all levels and participate evenly in policy-making. Expanding the scope of gender-equality legislation is also closely tied to the makeup of the National Assembly, where laws are made, and to its decision-making structure.

In an interview with The Asia Business Daily on September 21, Nam said, "Institutional reforms must come first if we are to achieve equal representation of men and women in the National Assembly. The legal basis for equal representation must be stipulated in the Public Official Election Act." She stressed that women's participation should be expanded not only among lawmakers, but also among their aides and throughout the National Assembly's organization.

Nam Insoon, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Yoon Dongju.

Regarding the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, she said it should coordinate gender-equality policies across government ministries and accelerate their implementation. She explained that the ministry should ensure that gender-equality work, which often falls behind in priority at ministries such as those of education, justice, and welfare, is actively addressed. Pointing in particular to the poor working conditions of care workers, most of whom are women, she said this is not an issue that should be left solely to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The following is a Q&A with Deputy Speaker Nam.

-What needs to change to make the National Assembly more gender-equal?

▲Institutionalization is extremely important. The legal basis for equal representation of men and women in the National Assembly must be stipulated in the Public Official Election Act. Women should be represented across the board not only among lawmakers, but also among their aides and throughout the National Assembly's organization.

-Can the National Assembly become gender-equal simply by increasing the number of women lawmakers?

▲Gender equality is not just a matter of numbers. Women need to be represented at every level and, in particular, participate in the policy-making process. Only then can issues affecting people's livelihoods and human rights move up the agenda. Women also need to participate in senior policy-making positions at various bodies within the National Assembly, including the National Assembly Secretariat and the National Assembly Research Service. Each political party should make a deliberate effort to ensure women are included in the Assembly leadership.

-Why did you recently organize the "Eoullim Luncheon" for women lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties?

▲In the past, when there were shared issues such as abolishing the family-head system or introducing a gender quota, women lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties would come together and make their voices heard. At the luncheon, they adopted a joint statement identifying "a society with equal representation of men and women" and "a society where women are safe" as shared priorities.

-Since entering the National Assembly, have you felt that things have changed in terms of gender equality?

▲I wouldn't say things have changed dramatically. Politics itself began as a male-dominated structure. I think we have now reached the minimum starting point from which to raise issues and bring about change. We first need to work toward ensuring women participate in every standing committee. We also need to improve the physical environment, including by providing temporary childcare to help citizens who bring children participate, and create conditions that allow members of the National Assembly to take parental leave.

Nam Insoon, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Yoon Dongju.

-Some have said that the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family's work overlaps with that of other ministries.

▲The work overlaps, and that is why it needs to be coordinated. The Ministry of Education is responsible for sexual violence in schools and gender-equality education for students, but the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family needs to work with it continuously and help make these priorities so that action is accelerated. The same applies to sexual violence and stalking offenses handled by the Ministry of Justice. The expertise and strong commitment of the Minister of Gender Equality and Family are important, and the president must also lend support.

-What role should the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family play in care and employment?

▲Care responsibilities are concentrated among women in the home, and many care workers are also women. Yet the social value of care is not properly recognized, and working conditions are poor. This is not an issue that should be left solely to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family should use gender impact assessments to raise the issue that working conditions are particularly poor in occupations where women are concentrated, and play a role in improving them.

-How do you assess the government's efforts to advance gender-equality policies?

▲I have always wanted to see more progress in this area, so I feel the pace is slow. Still, establishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is significant. I view it positively that the government has established dedicated gender-equality systems in other ministries as well, and sought to strengthen the ministry's role by transferring employment-related work, a key area of gender discrimination, to it. Now we need to pick up the pace. Policy implementation will accelerate if the president and prime minister lend their support.

-Apart from efforts to introduce mifepristone, what should the National Assembly do?

▲I have consistently raised the need to allow medication abortion, separately from amending the Mother and Child Health Act. Efforts are needed to include abortion methods such as surgery and medication in the Act. From the perspective of supporting women who have abortions, counseling should be provided, and follow-up contraception and related education should also be strengthened.

-What legislative priority are you focusing on besides the Mother and Child Health Act?

▲Establishing the Women's Human Rights and Peace Foundation. Since my time as chair of the Gender Equality and Family Committee, I have worked on the issue of victims of the Japanese military's sexual slavery system for many years. We also need to think about what will happen when the victims are no longer with us. The state must continue preserving records and educating future generations. The movement led by the victims was about confronting wartime sexual violence and ensuring it never happens again.

-What changes do you think women in their 20s and 30s will be able to feel?

▲I think young women are a group of voters who are attentive to policy and make choices based on it. Safety, jobs, and housing are interconnected issues. Efforts are being made to address digital sexual violence by removing videos and providing support, but the response cannot keep pace with how quickly it spreads. There are also areas where the response on the ground has not been sufficient for women to feel its effects. We need to support women in securing stable jobs and ensure they can return to their own jobs after taking parental leave.

-As Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, how do you plan to advance these issues?

▲I plan to push for amendments to the Mother and Child Health Act and the establishment of the Women's Human Rights and Peace Foundation, and to work toward a National Assembly with equal representation of men and women by amending the Public Official Election Act. This is not only because I am a woman Deputy Speaker; I worked on women's issues even before entering the National Assembly and also served as chair of the Gender Equality and Family Committee. I intend to continue paying attention to these issues and play a role in accelerating progress.

Nam Insoon, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, is speaking with The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Yoon Dongju

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