Empowering UnmarriedMothers in Korea

Dr. Im, AeDuck Ph.D. in Social WelfareChair of Social Welfare Foundation Chongsu

Women Empowerment Principlesby UN Women in 2011

• Principle 1: Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality

• Principle 2: Treat all women and men fairly at work – respect and support human rights and nondiscrimination

• Principle 3: Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers

• Principle 4: Promote education, training and professional development for women

• Principle 5: Implement enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that empower women

• Principle 6: Promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy

• Principle 7: Measure and publicly report on progress to achieve gender equality

Single Mothers and Unmarried Mothers in Korea

Unmarried Mothers 1970-2000sWhy do unmarried mothers in Korea leave their babies on the first day that they give birth?

1. Social stigma

2. Lack of financial support

3. Overseas adoption boom

4. Pressure from adoption agencies

Positive Attitudes Toward Unmarried Mothers

Change for Unmarried Mothers• Overseas adoptees’ network push Korean gove

rnment to change adoption policy

• Surge of Unmarried mothers’ On-line cafés in the Internet in the 2000s

• -0ne in 2000 -> more than 350 on Daum in 2014

• Low fertility rate in Korea

• ->low fertility –aging master plan

• Legal change: Abolition of patriarchal family system and Amendment of single parent family support law

Adoption Rate in Korea

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

국내

국외

계

Adoption rate in Australia

Mosaic, on their faces, why mosaic in 2014

What happened in 2006?

Legal family head system which is a father-centered family tree system, patriachal system was abolished in 2006.

Ex-nuptial child Prevalence

Effect of Low birth rate on Rapid change of Attitudes toward Unmarried mother

What are the obstacles blocking social change?

•

How to get over the obstacles?

• Just Empowering themselves can be the only way to get over the obstacles.

• Inward Revolution is needed for ourselves.

• Why is inward revolution for unmarried mother required?

Advocacy Coalition Model for Ex-nuptial baby’s arrangement by Im, Aeduck(2011)

Figure 4. Advocacy Coalition & Policy Broker for Ex-nuptial child-raising

arrangement policy