KWDI Korean Women’s Development Institute

Korean Women's Development Institute(KWDI) has been conducting the Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women & Families(KLoWF), which is a nationwide panel research in order to figure out women's lives and family structures and changes since 2006. The survey is to trace changes in family relationship and value, changes in family type, process of family formation and changes in event, changes in family structure including changes in status of economic activities and job experience in women's life cycle.

The subjects of KLoWF are original sample households from the first wave survey and qualified members of households of 19 to 64 years old, and also split-off households formed after the first wave survey and qualified members of split-off households. The qualified member of split-off household is included as a subject of the survey only when he or she is living with the qualified member of the original household according to the tracing principle of split-off household.

The subjects of fifth wave survey are 11,234 female qualified members from 9,483 households of fourth wave survey and split-off households and qualified members of split-off households of fifth wave survey, On a close view, the number of subject households are the sum of the original 9,068 households from the first wave survey, 100 split-off households from the second wave survey, 161 split-off households from the third wave survey, 154 split-off households from the fourth wave survey. The trace research is followed with split-off households from the fifth wave survey as the subjects. The individual subjects are 10,442 female members between 19 to 64 years old who are in the original eligible households from the first wave survey and the new qualified members after the second wave survey who live with the qualified members from the first wave survey.

The subject households for panel management of the fifth wave survey are the sum of 9,477 households and split-off households from the fifth wave survey. And the subject households for panel management in 2014 are the total of 11,791 persons.

The subjects of the fourth wave survey are 11,234 female qualified members of households between 19 to 64 years old from 9,483 households, and 6,737 households are the final respondents which shows 75.2% of persistency rate compare to the original eligible households(9,068). The fifth wave survey is now in progress aiming 72.0%.

The major research results of this year are as following.

First, longitudinal data cleaning was done for the fourth wave survey of KLoWF and the additional data was opened to public. At the same time, machining variable(job sequence, fertility) was produced additionally for researchers who use the panel data, and code book of data changed by unification of variables was written and questionnaire was examined. Also, Data merged file with high degree of usage is provided and code from the first to fourth survey was tagged in the fourth survey questionnaire. The result went public for presenter of the fourth KLoWF academic conference(26th September), and other researchers and graduate school students who use the KLoWF data to make good use of it.

Second, the fifth wave's main survey was conducted.

The CAPI program “Blaise” license was renewed to implement the main survey, and also 5th wave questionnaires content was rechecked by conducting advisory council. And training for interviewer was held in order to guarantee the quality of KLoWF. The subject households for panel management of the fifth wave survey are the sum of 9,477 households and split-off households from the fifth wave survey and 11,791 qualified members of households and the new qualifed members of households.

Third, the fourth KLoWF academic conference was held.

KWDI has been held the event to be of help to share record of researches and seek for policy plan as well as broad use of KLoWF since 2008, and the fourth was KLoWF academic conference held in 2014. The conference was composed of 9 parts which cover broad topics related to women's general lives including women's job, marriage, childbirth, nurture, mental health, health, and etc. There was also presentation of 28 articles including articles from graduate school student thesis competition.

Fourth, analysis report on longitudinal and in-depth analysis of KLoWF was published.

The feature and economic condition of KLoWF household was analysed reflected by longitudinal weighted value of the first to fourth wave survey in this report. Demographical feature and domestic life, family relationship, health condition, job condition and etc of individual female respondent were analysed as well. Also, non-regular female worker's career discontinuity before and after marriage and childbirth, married women's changing job and leaving the labour market, women's social economic status and interrelationship between women's special health condition and health care, panel's leaving the KLoWF. and how to give weighted value to the fourth wave survey were profoundly analysed.

KLoWF is a long-term and regular longitudinal survey on women as a group by the distinction between sexes and has its significancy that it makes it possible to understand the past and present about family and social background of an individual woman. Moreover, it makes it possible to practically analyse the main issues raised by women's entry in work society such as work-family compatibility, low fertility, aging population, childcare problems, family friendly policies and etc. It is expected that it will make interdisciplinary approach on women's lives and gender equality possible. Researches using this data will function as observation of women's life and an essential data to work out women and family policy.