Illust by Kim Sang-min

Korea’s National Gender Equality Index for 2023 has dropped compared to the previous year, marking the first decline since the index was introduced in 2010. Persistent gender disparities in decision-making roles and a growing reinforcement of gender role stereotypes within families contributed to the decline.

On April 17, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced that the index for 2023 stood at 65.4 points, down 0.8 points from 66.2 in 2022. The index measures gender gaps across seven domains, including employment, income, education, health, caregiving, and awareness of gender equality. A perfect score of 100 indicates complete gender equality, while 0 represents complete inequality.

This is the first time the index has declined since it was first recorded at 66.1 points in 2010. It had steadily risen to 75.4 by 2021.

The ministry had revised the index in 2022, reducing the scope from 8 domains and 25 indicators to 7 domains and 23 indicators. Because of the overhaul, 66.2 points in 2022 was not directly comparable to that of the previous years. However, 65.4 points in 2023 clearly reflected a decline.

The decision-making domain recorded the lowest score of 32.5 points, with notable gender gaps not only in public roles like lawmakers and cabinet ministers but also in managerial positions in the private sector.

The gender equality awareness domain dropped sharply to 73.2 points, down 6.8 points from the previous year. Particularly striking was the score for gender role stereotypes within the family, which is measured every three years. It plunged from 60.1 to 43.7 points.

Dr. Lee Dong-sun of the Korea Women's Development Institute (KWDI) said that the increase in caregiving responsibilities within families due to factors like remote learning and closures of care facilities during the coronavirus pandemic likely played a role. Additionally, childcare leave and support programs are still primarily used by women, which may have impacted perceptions and behaviors.”

The regional Gender Equality Index reflecting regional characteristics also revealed disparities. Seoul, Daejeon, Sejong, South Chungcheong Province, and Jeju Island scored above 71.57 points, while North Gyeongsang Province, Busan, Ulsan, and South Jeolla Province hovered around 67 points.

Last month, the ministry held the 18th Gender Equality Committee meeting and unveiled the “4th Basic Plan for Promoting Women’s Economic Participation and Preventing Career Disruption.” This five-year plan expands the target demographic beyond previously focused career-interrupted women to include young, middle-aged, and elderly women.

The government set two major goals, which are supporting women’s economic activity across their life cycles and promoting work-life balance. Measures include surveys on the participation of women in high-tech industries, and the expansion of career break prevention services and counseling programs tailored to different life and career stages at Saeil Centers, which are women’s employment support centers.

Heo Min-sook, a legislative researcher at the National Assembly Research Service, said, “Expanding policy coverage to all women is a positive step, as women face job insecurity and wage gaps throughout their lives. However, without sufficient budget allocation, there is a risk that existing support for career-interrupted women could become diluted.”