The government of the capital of South Korea is being criticized for an now excluded online manual for pregnant women that contained sexist tips and gender stereotypes
SEOUL, South Korea – The government of the capital of South Korea faces criticism for an online manual for pregnant women that contained sexist tips and gender stereotypes.
The now-excluded guidelines, published on the Seoul Pregnancy and Childbirth Information Center website, suggested that pregnant women should prepare food, clothing and daily necessities for their husbands and family before going to the hospital to give birth. They offered weight management tips that involved hanging smaller clothes for motivation and warned women against spending too much on children’s clothing.
South Korea has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, according to the United Nations Population Fund, and is trying to encourage more births. But critics say these efforts have been hampered by a government that often reflects a deeply patriarchal society and widespread sexist views.
“It is as if the city of Seoul is declaring that the wife should take care of all the housework,” said Kim Hyomin, a student at Duksung Women’s University, in a telephone interview.
The manual was published in 2019, but did not receive much attention until last week, when criticism spread on social media. The late fury led the capital to exclude the guidelines and triggered online petitions demanding that he apologize.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government acknowledged in a statement on Monday that it failed to fully verify the guidelines, which it said were originally from the Ministry of Health and Welfare website, and promised to review city-related websites and educate employees on equality. of gender.
The guidelines also warned women about what they said was an increased risk of premature birth if a husband “suddenly throws himself at her” or engages in “aggressive sexual activity”.
The guidelines promoted and normalized gender-based violence, according to Ji-Yeong Yunkim, an assistant professor at the Institute for Body and Culture at Konkuk University.
“Women are seen as having to sacrifice and care for adult men, however difficult it may be,” said Yunkim.
This is not the first time that government efforts to raise the birth rate have backfired.
In 2016, the Ministry of the Interior of South Korea launched a “birth map” website that showed the number of women of childbearing potential by district and region of the city. That site was removed after a public protest.
Yunkim, the professor, said the South Korean government’s recurring mishaps stem from the perception of women by male-dominated institutions.
“They see women as reproductive tools, not individuals,” said Yunkim.