Gender Equality in North Korea

North_Korea
Flag of North_Korea
Population (in Mil.)	22.8
Sex Ratio (m/f)	0,95
Life Expectancy Ratio (f/m)	-
Fertility Rate	-
Income Ratio (f/m)	-
Literacy Ratio (f/m)	n/a
Tertiary Enrolment Ratio (f/m)	n/a
Women in Parliament (in %)	20,1
SIGI Rank	0
More information on variables
Did you know that North_Korea ranks number 0 of 102 countries on the OECD Social Institutions and Gender Index? To learn more, see the official country note "Gender Equality and Social Institutions in North_Korea" at genderindex.org:

During Korea’s Chosn Dynasty (1392-1910), women had few social, economic and political opportunities and their access to formal education was limited. They were recognised mainly for their reproductive role and were expected to give birth to male heirs. After the establishment of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea - commonly known as North Korea - in 1945, the social status of women changed and their equality with men was stipulated in a number of laws, including the Constitution. Women thus have the same legal rights as men, but their situation is still difficult and overshadowed by the country’s generally poor conditions following decades of dictatorship and economic isolation. While women are expected to work as many hours as men, they are also the ones primarily responsible to carry out any household chores. The Korean society is traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist. Note that information from NGO’s and women’s rights activists in North Korea is scarce.

Family Code

Although men and women are granted the same legal rights in the area of family matters, the man is typically seen as the head of the household. The 1946 Law on Sex Equality sets the minimum age of marriage to 17 for women and 18 for men. Marriages are to be based upon the free will and mutual consent of both parties. Nevertheless, most young men and women will only marry if they have the approval of their parents and one of the primary considerations in marriage is the compatibility of class origins (www.everyculture.com). According to defectors, early marriage is not promoted by the government and young people are encouraged instead to devote more time to work for their country and its people. Women in North Korea tend to get married at the age of 28 or 29, while men wait until they are 30 or 31 years old (RFA, 2004). Article 7 of the Law on Sex Equality criminalizes polygamy. The 1990 Family Law grants equal parental authority to men and women and they have the same rights and obligations to care for their children. In the event of divorce, custody is decided by mutual agreement or by a court. Custody of a child younger than three years of age is awarded to the mother, unless there is a compelling reason for this not to be the case (CEDAW, 2002). Similarly, there is no legal discrimination against women in the area of inheritance (but, again, information on actual practices is limited).

Physical Integrity

Female genital mutilation is not practiced in North Korea. Violence against women is common, but the issue is not well addressed in the country’s report to CEDAW. Any statistical data are likely to be underestimates: for example, 2 cases of rape were recorded in 2003 and only 1 case in 2004. Independent sources, including the UN special rapporteur, reports that women in prison camps are subject to sexual abuse and forced abortions. Trafficking of women and young girls into China also occurs (U.S. Department of State, 2007). Concerning missing women, traditions of son preference exist. On rare occasions, grandparents have been known to demand childbirth until they have a grandson (CEDAW, 2002).

Civil Liberties

There are no official legal restrictions on the freedom of movement that apply specifically to women, but certain regulations prevent them from “dangerous and harmful labour”. Pregnant women or women with infants are prohibited to work at night. North Korean women are expected to know their “proper place and behaviour” as wives and mothers, and have been subject to bans preventing them from smoking, driving and biking (Lankov, 2007). Some areas of the country are off-limits to all, men and women alike, and may only be travelled to on “reasonable grounds” (CEDAW, 2002). Similarly, female modesty has always been encouraged and this extends to women’s freedom of dress. For example, in Pyongyang and other major cities, for a long time women were not allowed to wear trousers, other than at work (Lankov, 2007).

Ownership Rights

Means of productions, including land, are owned by the public and the State is responsible for supplying its citizens with food, clothing and housing. Individual property is derived from socialist distribution according to work carried out and the law makes no distinction between men and women in this respect (CEDAW, 2002). Within marriage, both spouses have equal ownership rights and they separately own and control property of personal nature or, alternatively, own jointly any family property. Women may have personal control over money and they are free to conclude various contracts.

Sources

• CEDAW (2002), Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, initial reports of States parties, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, CEDAW/C/PRK/1.
• Countries and their cultures, Culture of North Korea, www.everyculture.com, accessed 31 January, 2008.
• Lankov, A. (2007), A Woman’s Life, article published in the Korea Times, 2 December, 2007, www.koreatimes.co.kr.
• OECD (2006), The Gender, Institutions and Development Data Base, www.oecd.org/dev/gender/gid.
• Radio Free Asia (2004), Seoul to Soul: Dating and Marriage in the Two Koreas, article published 21 January, 2004, www.rfa.org.
• Savada, A.M. ed. (1993), North Korea: A Country Study, Washington, GPO for the Library of Congress.
• United Nations (2004), Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, World Fertility Report, New York.
• U.S. Department of State (2007), Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2006: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.