Won Min-kyong, Minister of Gender Equality and Family: "I will not overlook even the smallest voices... I will make people's daily lives safer and fairer"

[Financial News]  As the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family enters its second year, it is launching four major policy goals covering everything from guaranteeing the rights of violence victims to supporting young people and youth at risk, as well as providing customized welfare services for families.
At a briefing marking the first anniversary of its launch held at Government Complex Seoul on the 1st, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-kyong outlined the government's future policy direction. "It has been one year since the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family was reorganized from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF), with expanded functions and responsibilities. It is time to show the public achievements worthy of our new name," she said.
Won then emphasized, "The policies of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family are aimed at making people's daily lives safer, fairer and more secure. Building on the foundation of gender equality policies that we have rebuilt, we will pursue the following four policy goals to achieve gender equality for all, safety for all and stable lives for every family."
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will first ensure that the rights of victims of violence are fully protected, from the investigation stage through the recovery of their daily lives.
It will strengthen guidance so that the victim-rights protection system operates smoothly in the field under the reorganized criminal justice system, while closely linking free legal aid, counseling, medical care and housing support.
The ministry also plans to concentrate the government's integrated response capabilities on disabling websites that distribute illegal recordings and tracking domain changes and impersonation sites to prevent the spread of harm at its source.
It will reflect young people's voices in policymaking and promote a culture of gender balance.
The ministry will pursue inclusive gender equality policies that reflect the diverse living conditions and needs of the younger generation. In the era of artificial intelligence transformation (AX), it will launch a regional AX talent-development program for young women.
It will strengthen support for youth at risk and establish a comprehensive growth-support system.
A new integrated management system and central call center for Youth1388 will be established to improve access to professional counseling. The ministry will reinforce its professional workforce and expand support facilities for youth outside the home and out of school.
It will provide comprehensive support for the daily lives of all families, from marriage to caregiving and childrearing.
Through the "Family for All" program, the ministry will strengthen universal family services and provide customized case management for households in crisis. In particular, it plans to offer marriage support grants to help young people who choose to marry and newlyweds make a stable start.
At the briefing, Won also highlighted the ministry's major achievements over the past year as it was reorganized from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) into the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family rebuilt the foundation for advancing gender equality across government policies. To that end, it held an in-person meeting of the Gender Equality Committee and activated expert committees.
After discussions with relevant ministries, it prepared a plan to introduce abortion medication.
As part of guaranteeing universal access to women's health, it launched a pilot program called "Menstrual Products for All."
In the area of responding to gender-based violence, the government launched the joint interagency Integrated Support Team for Victims of Digital Sex Crimes in April, shifting to a proactive and fundamental response system that includes blocking illegal websites.
It also supported the early detection of warning signs by strengthening measures to address stalking and dating violence and distributing "Red Flag 10."
For single-parent families, it introduced an advance child-support payment system for the first time and abolished income eligibility criteria. It has also improved service quality by introducing a national certification system for childcare services.
Won pledged, "I will continue taking on new challenges so that people can see changes in their lives: whether victims of violence are becoming safe more quickly, whether gender disparities in the workplace are narrowing, whether the burden on families caused by caregiving has eased even slightly, and whether young people facing crises have gained the strength to stand up again."

[email protected] Jung Sang-kyun Reporter