Abstract

A Study on the Women’s Underrepresentation of Mayorship in Local Government with a perspective of Gender Justice
Type Basic Period 2021
Manager Eun Kyung Kim Date 2022-03-11
Fiie [Basic] A Study on the Women’s Underrepresentation of Mayorship in Local Government with a perspective of Gender Justice - Eun Kyung Kim.pdf ( 23.24 KB )

Abstract

 

A Study on the Women’s Underrepresentation of Mayorship in Local Government with a perspective of Gender Justice

 

Eun Kyung Kim

Meekyung Moon

Bok Tae Kim

Jae-young Cheon

Minjeoung Kim

 

This study aimed to investigate the women’s underrepresentation at the mayorship of local governments among political leaders. Why women have been underrepresented in many local elections, and what are the fundamental problems to be removed were examined with a perspective of gender justice.

 

The cause of the women’s underrepresentation at the mayorship was ultimately the nomination of a political party. There is a practice in political parties that the regional chairperson or party association chairperson who are mostly made up of men have decided candidates for local elections, and most of them were reluctant to nominate women. The reason is related to the maintenance of their membership in the National Assembly. Because the member of the National Assembly was elected from the people in every regional district, they are trying to be in control over the regional organizations, and mayors and members of local assemblies are utilized as potential supporters of them at the elections. Through this study, it came to realize how difficult it is for a woman to pass the nomination and become a manager or leader in a male-dominated organization, unlike public offices in which 20% to 30% are elected in the composition of the parliament.

 

The followings are to increase women as mayors of local governments. First, women's 50% nomination at the strategic nomination, the single nomination, and the priority nomination; second, the preferential nomination of female candidates for positions that become vacant after serving the 3rd term as a mayor; third, as a criterion for the nomination of the mayor, experience in an elected office (National Assembly, regional or basic) in the region should be a prerequisite; forth, expanding women members at the local assembly as a group of potential women candidates for the mayors; fifth, plan to improve the electoral system for the mayor of the local government and the basic assembly with a proportional representation system.

 

Research areas: Representation

Keywords: woman mayor in local government, underrepresentation, women’s leadership, gender justice, gender equality city