Assembly Speaker Jo urges female lawmakers to 'open the path wider' for women in politics
Source: Herald
National Assembly Speaker Jo Jeong-sik attended a gathering of female lawmakers of the 22nd National Assembly at Sarangjae Hall on Tuesday, urging them to "open the path for women politicians even wider."
Delivering a congratulatory address, Jo said the Tuesday event — held on the opening day of the 22nd Assembly's third regular session — was "a meaningful occasion for female lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties to communicate and connect, to build a gender-equal political culture in the Assembly, and to strengthen women's political leadership."
Jo said 64 female lawmakers are currently serving in the 22nd National Assembly, including Deputy Speaker Nam In-soon, accounting for 21.4 percent of all 300 members. "South Korea's rate of women's political participation is gradually increasing, but it still ranks only 122nd out of 183 countries by the Inter-Parliamentary Union standard, which falls far short of global trends," he said.
He added that he hoped the gathering would serve as a forum to discuss solutions to the country's long-term challenges — including women's and family welfare, caregiving, the low birth rate and human rights — and to expand women's political participation and leadership in South Korea. "I hope female lawmakers will become the driving force of the 22nd National Assembly and continue to open the path for women politicians even wider," he said.
National Assembly Speaker Jo Jeong-sik attended a gathering of female lawmakers of the 22nd National Assembly at Sarangjae Hall on Tuesday, urging them to "open the path for women politicians even wider."
Delivering a congratulatory address, Jo said the Tuesday event — held on the opening day of the 22nd Assembly's third regular session — was "a meaningful occasion for female lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties to communicate and connect, to build a gender-equal political culture in the Assembly, and to strengthen women's political leadership."
Jo said 64 female lawmakers are currently serving in the 22nd National Assembly, including Deputy Speaker Nam In-soon, accounting for 21.4 percent of all 300 members. "South Korea's rate of women's political participation is gradually increasing, but it still ranks only 122nd out of 183 countries by the Inter-Parliamentary Union standard, which falls far short of global trends," he said.
He added that he hoped the gathering would serve as a forum to discuss solutions to the country's long-term challenges — including women's and family welfare, caregiving, the low birth rate and human rights — and to expand women's political participation and leadership in South Korea. "I hope female lawmakers will become the driving force of the 22nd National Assembly and continue to open the path for women politicians even wider," he said.