Women's Party (South Korea)

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Women's Party
여성의당
Collective leadershipLee Ji-won
Chang Ji-yoo
Founded8 March 2020 (2020-03-08)
Ideology
Political positionBig tent[4][5]
Colours  Purple
National Assembly
0 / 300
Metropolitan Mayors and Governors
0 / 17
Municipal Mayors
0 / 226
Municipal Councillors
0 / 2,926
Website
https://www.womensparty.kr
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The Women's Party ( Korean: 여성의당; Hanja: 女性議黨; RR: Yeoseonguidang; lit. "Women agenda party" [6]) is a South Korean single-issue political party founded on International Women's Day 2020 that advocates for feminism.[7][8] The party calls for greater representation of women and equality in politics and an end to all forms of violence, discrimination and inequality against women in the workplace.[9]

History[edit]

The conflict between Feminism Party[edit]

The annexation between Feminism Party (페미니즘당) which is intersectional feminism and Women's Party which is trans-exclusive radical feminism were foundered because of its characters. A column wrote on Women's Human Rights Institute of Korea (Korean) which criticized gender-exclusive feminism was the reason of the conflict.[10]

Establishment[edit]

The Women's Party was officially established on March 8, 2020, on International Women's Day.[11] The new electoral system which expanded the opportunities for minority parties, prompted the movement to establish a Women's party spearheaded by active young and senior feminists. In 10 days, the organizers were able to qualify the group to register as an official political party. They gathered support in five municipal and provincial level parties (Gyeonggi, South Gyeongsang, Busan, Seoul, Incheon) in addition to in total 8,200 members nationwide. On the Inauguration day, Kim Eun-joo, Yoon Seo-yeon, Lee Ji-won, Won So-yoo, Chang Ji-yoo, Kim Jin-ah, and Lee Seong Suk were selected as the first joint representatives to represent the diverse age brackets of their female constituents.

2020 South Korean general elections[edit]

The Women's Party's 10 major pledges addressed issues such as closing the gender pay gap, women's housing rights, reducing the burden of childcare, right to health etc., and prioritized curbing digital sexual crimes.

The party nominated four candidates for proportional representation: Lee Ji Won (First and second party representative), Lee Gyeong Ok (Chairperson of the South Gyeongsang Provincial Party), Park Bo Ram, Kim Ju Hee.

With 208,697 (0.74%) votes during its first election, the party came in 10th among parties who won seats in proportional representation.[12]

During the 2020 election, online supporters of the Women's Party targeted Green Party candidate Kim Ki-hong with an online hate campaign. Party members began cyberbullying Kim, who was Korea's first transgender candidate for Parliament, calling her "an uncle in a skirt" and other transphobic remarks. Kim resigned from the election on 11 April, four days before the election, and died by suicide on 24 February 2021. In the suicide note, Kim noted the constant online harassment during the 2020 South Korean legislative election as the main reason for her worsening mental health.[13]

Party convention 2020[edit]

Following the general elections, the Women's Party held a virtual party convention on September 5 amid COVID-19.[14] Lee Ji-won, Chang Ji-yoo, and Kim Jin-ah were newly elected as the second representatives.

Seoul mayoral by-election 2021[edit]

Seoul mayor Park Won-soon died by suicide July 9, 2020, the day after his former secretary filed a complaint to the police alleging that Park had sexually harassed her.[15]

Two candidates, Kim Jin-ah and Lee Ji-won, former and current co-representatives, ran in the party's primary, and Kim Jin-ah was elected.[16] Candidate Kim Jin-ah emphasized that "the election was caused by the sexual misconduct case of the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon," and pledged a 50% quota of female executives at public institutions under the slogan "Seoul where women are good to live alone."[17]

Dissolution crisis[edit]

The Women's Party did not run any candidates for the 2022 local elections or the 2022 presidential election. On 5 September 2022, The Women's Party announced on the party's website that a vote for the dissolution of the party would be held. The Women's Party has been experiencing difficulties in running the party for over a year as many members left and key positions in the Party went unfilled. There were no Party members that applied to run in local elections for the 2022 election cycle. The election of the third steering committee was also canceled in July 2022 due to no applicants.

In December 2021, internal strife grew when it was revealed that Party leader Jang Ji-yu was handling the party affairs via 'Tarot card fortune-telling' and using her job as a fortune teller to influence the choices of party members in key party elections.[18]

On 1 October 2022, the Women's Party announced that the vote to dissolve the Party passed consensus by Party members. However, according to Korean law, a vote must obtain 50% of registered voter participation in order to be considered valid. Even though the vote to dissolve the Party resulted in a majority "yes" vote, the Women's Party did not reach the 50% participation threshold of party members, and thus the vote was invalidated.

Policies[edit]

As a single-issue party, its main policies include:[19]

  • Guarantee equal representation for women by building a more gender equal representative democracy
  • Create a nation that safeguards women from violence and hate
  • Build a society without socio-economic discrimination against women, and with equal access to labor · equal treatment for equivalent labor
  • Recognize women's contributions to family life and reproduction. Develop and implement policies that guarantee the rights, autonomy, and welfare of women.
  • Implement gender equal welfare policies centered on the rights of individual citizens by moving away from the paradigm of current welfare policies that institute the concept of the normative family
  • Eliminate all forms of discrimination and privilege that deprive women of equal opportunity
  • Develop a creative society that guarantees a culture of equality and an individual's right to enjoy this culture
  • Represent the voice and experience of female sexual minorities
  • Build peace through eradication of patriarchal military culture
  • Proactively respond to future issues such as technological development and climate change from a feminist standpoint

Political position[edit]

Unlike mainstream feminist political parties that range from center-left to left-wing political positions, the Women's Party is big tent with members ranging from conservatives to progressives.[20] The Women's Party focuses on broadening female representation, actualizing gender equality in politics, and fighting against inequality women experience at different stages of their lives.[6][21] In order to accomplish the party's agenda, the Women's Party actively collaborates with various other political parties[22][23] such as the Democratic Party of Korea, Justice Party, Basic Income Party, Green Party Korea and organizations such as 모두를위한낙태죄폐지공동행동 (Safe Abortion On Korea), 양육비해결총연합회 (Resolve Child Support Problem Union), and 배드파더스 (Bad fathers).[24]

The Women's Party has also been publicly criticized after its 2021 Seoul Mayor Candidate, Kim Jin-Ah, made comments during a televised debate that is seen as downplaying homophobia towards gay men, saying "women suffer more than homosexuals" and that "a homosexual man is still a man," and "gay [men] earn 16% more wage than women."[citation needed]

The Women's Party is member of Women's Declaration International which advocates for radical feminist ideologies.[25] The Women's Party holds that transgender women are not women and rejects the notion of gender identity-based rights, a position that has been criticised as transphobic.[26]

Election results[edit]

General elections[edit]

Election Total seats won Total votes Share of votes Outcome of election Status Election leader
2020
0 / 300
 208,697 0.74% 0 seats Extra-Parliamentary
2024
0 / 300
 28,942 0.10% 0 seats Extra-Parliamentary

Local elections[edit]

Election Candidate Votes %
2021 Seoul mayoral by-election Kim Jin-ah 33,421 0.68

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "'여성의당' 탄생한다…"페미니즘 물결 이후 첫 총선, 국회 얼굴 바꾸겠다"". 경향신문. 2020-02-10. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
  2. ^ "South Korean feminist party plans school to train 'winning' candidates". Reuters. 2020-04-28.
  3. ^ Women's Declaration International. "Supporting organizations - Women's Declaration International". womensdeclaration.com. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
  4. ^ "텔레그램 'n번방, 박사방사건계기, 여성의당 약진하나?". 신문고뉴스. 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2020-05-02. 여성의당은 보수 진보 등의 정치적 이념보다 여성권익 찾기를 추구하는 포괄정당을 지향하고 있다.
  5. ^ "Where does a movement go when the public can't move?". THE BALLOT. 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2020-05-02. "We're ready to work together with other parties, as long as we can agree on the policies for women," Kim said. "The Women's Party doesn't have a left or a right."
  6. ^ a b "월간 여성의당① 남성들로부터 '지지 전화' 많이 받았다". 중앙뉴스 (in Korean). 2020-05-10. Retrieved 2024-04-08. 여성의당의 '의'자가 수식어가 아니라 의제할 때 그 의(議)자다. 사회 구성원으로서 여성이 다양한 연령대에서 발생하는 중심 의제를 갖고 정치를 하겠다는 의미
  7. ^ "한국 최초 여성주의 정당 '여성의당' 창당 본격화… "여성에 대한 모든 혐오 반대"". 여성신문 (in Korean). 2020-02-15. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  8. ^ "South Korea's new feminist party aims to shake up patriarchal nation". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  9. ^ ""남성 중심 정치에 반대합니다"… '여성의당' 15일 발기인대회 [발기취지문 전문]". 여성신문 (in Korean). 2020-02-14. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  10. ^ "'여성들만의' '안전한' 여대: 정체성과 장소의 판타지". OhmyNews (in Korean). 2020-05-14. Retrieved 2020-11-03. 당 내부에선 창당 준비 과정부터 트랜스젠더를 배제하는 발언이 나와 논란이 지속됐다. 또 다른 여성주의 정당인 '페미당'과 추진했던 합당이 결렬된 것도 이 때문이다. 선거 땐 트랜스젠더 배제 문제를 지적한 칼럼이 한국여성인권진흥원 뉴스레터에 실렸는데, 당원들이 댓글과 사회관계망서비스(SNS) 등을 통해 거세게 항의하면서 결국 삭제되기도 했다.
  11. ^ "'여성의 당' 창당 첫발 뗐다". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  12. ^ "[기자의 눈] 20만명이 선택한 '여성의당'… "여성정치 역사의 진보"". 여성신문 (in Korean). 2020-04-16. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  13. ^ https://english.khan.co.kr/khan_art_view.html?code=710100&artid=202103051712002
  14. ^ "여성의당 전당대회, 5일 유튜브 생중계로 진행". 여성신문 (in Korean). 2020-09-03. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  15. ^ "미 국무부 인권보고서, 한국 공직자 부패·성추행 명시…조국·박원순·오거돈 사건 나열". VOA (in Korean). 2021-03-20. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  16. ^ "여성의당, 서울시장 보궐선거 예비후보 등록, 본격적 선거 돌입". 시사매거진 (in Korean). 2021-02-16. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  17. ^ "여성의당 김진아 "여자 혼자도 살기 좋은 서울 만들자"". Segye Ilbo (in Korean). 2021-03-13. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  18. ^ "'서울시장 선거 4위'도 했는데…여성의당, 해산 위기 직면". 7 September 2022.
  19. ^ "Women's Party official website". womensparty.kr. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  20. ^ "[신문고] 텔레그램 'n번방, 박사방' 사건계기, 여성의당 약진하나?". 신문고. 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2020-04-24.
  21. ^ "Women's Party website". womensparty.kr. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  22. ^ ""20년간 방치된 '스토킹범죄처벌법', 21대 국회 최우선 과제로"". 여성신문 (in Korean). 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  23. ^ 강, 민경 (2020-08-10). "기본소득·녹색·여성의당, 기본소득 도입 연석회의 출범". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  24. ^ "여성의당, "더 이상 미룰 수 없다!"". 경기매일 (in Korean). 2020-05-18. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  25. ^ WHRC. "WHRC main page". Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  26. ^ "'20만 득표' 여성 정치세력화 씨 뿌렸지만…대중적 확장은 숙제". 한계레 신문 (in Korean). 2020-05-13. Retrieved 2020-11-03. 이런 맥락에서 오로지 '여성'이라는 정체성에 기반한 정치세력화를 추진한 '여성의당'이 이번 총선에서 N번방 이슈를 주요 공약으로 내세웠다는 점은 주목할 만하다.

External links[edit]

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