KWDI Korean Women’s Development Institute

Abstract

A Study for the Systematic Operation of Gender Equality Training

Yunjeong Choi

Hye Seung Cho

Bo-Young Sun

Hee-Young Jang

Jae Hee Ahn

 

 

One of the key concerns of the policy for gender equality training is the promotion of gender conciousness and awareness among the public, and gender equality training is one of the most useful policy measures to achieve this goal. Based on this recognition, gender equality training has widely been expanded in various policy areas. Although there is a common goal of promoting gender egalitarianism among the public, the policy on gender equality training in Korea has been implemented separately according to the needs and demands of segmented policy areas rather than comprehensively and consistently in a large framework. The study aims to examine, according to this viewpoint, gender equality training programs implemented based on the national policy, and to propose a strategy for effective and systematic operation of gender equality training.

To accomplish the research objectives presented above, the study carried out 1) examination of the concept and characteristics of gender equality training in Korea and international organization(UN Women, EU EIGE), 2) investigation of the gender equality training system and its implementation in Korea, 3) analysis of the status of gender equality training with a focus on key interests, 4) collection of opinions on policy alternatives and improvements for gender equality training from related experts, and 5) recommendation on possible improvements for the policy on gender equality training. To this end, the study used a variety of research methods including literature reviews, focus group interview, Delphi survey with experts, and consultative meeting with experts. Notably, to reflect the perspectives of diversified groups on gender equality, focus group interview was conducted with 46 persons in 11 groups, such as learners, lectures, facilitators, and local policy implementors in private, public and government sectors. Delphi survey with experts was carried out to obtain experts’ evaluation of the current system design for gender equality training and to generate experts’ consensus on improving the system.

The results of the analysis on the implementation and current status of gender equality training can be summarized as follows:

First, there are demands for revision of the contents of various present legal provisions related to gender equality training to improve their adequacy. The result of the Delphi survey with experts carried out in the study shows that experts did not agree on the contents of present legal provisions and dismissed most contents of the system related to the training contents and methods as well as the management system for the training, thus requiring their revision. For instance, concerning the training purpose, sexual harassment prevention training, prostitution prevention training, and sexual violence prevention training all have the same training purpose of ‘cultivation of healthy gender values,’ but there is criticism that it is not a proper terminology as a training purpose in light of the intention and goals of these training programs. In addition, reconsideration is needed on the exclusion of teenagers from sexual harassment prevention training and college students from prostitution prevention training.

Second, a key problem of the training contents is that they do not reflect gender equality perspective. Training programs that have not internalized gender awareness fail to strengthen learners’ competency for gender sensitivity, while reinforcing the Pence rule applied to avoid the possibility of becoming a sexual assailant. Many of the learners and educators who took part in the study failed to recognize the fact that violence prevention training was related to gender awareness.

Third, learners were fed up with the training contents due to repetitive training of the same contents. This seems to be because the training contents for violence prevention training and gender sensitivity training are fixed under an enforcement decree, based on which, the same contents are delivered repetitively in training scenes. Diversification of training operation considering the characteristics of different organizations and learners seems required.

Fourth, the increase in online training after the COVID-19 pandemic is seen to have substantially reduced the degree of training participation and the effect of trainings. The result of the focus group interview shows that only online training was held for the last three years, and there has been no case of return to face-to-face training. Most interviewees thought that a return to face-to-face training and small group training was necessary and suggested discussion-based training, participatory training, etc.

Fifth, the identity of gender sensitivity training is not reflected as fully as those of other types of training. Most of the public officials who have received the training remember gender sensitivity training just as gender equality training, and only a few of them appear to have improved their knowledge of gender sensitivity policy through gender sensitivity training.

Sixth, it is seen that, as violence prevention training became an integrative training program, imbalance among four types of violence and reduction of training time appeared. In principle, a balance among sexual harassment, prostitution, domestic violence, and sexual violence is desirable, but training programs are focused on sexual harassment and sexual violence at present, while training on domestic violence and prostitution is decreasing or replaced by online training. Also, there were some opinions that the increased focus on gender sensitivity perspective dilutes the violence prevention characteristics of the training programs.

Seventh, learners, educators, and instructors all have strong demands for rich contents. They have high demands for materials that will help form a fundamental perspective on the reason why gender sensitivity perspective is necessary, etc. rather than mere enumeration of laws, regulations and cases or policy introduction. For gender equality training to contribute to forming a proper perspective and attitude, provision of rich and diversified contents is needed to complement different training programs.

Based on these analysis results, possible improvements for systematic operation of gender equality training are suggested. In the study, it was argued that various gender-related training programs that the government implements need to be incorporated in a single institutional framework under a single purpose. However, integration of gender equality training programs that belong to a variety of different laws and institutional systems is not quite realistic; thus, measures aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of training within the current framework are suggested.

First, improvement of the gender sensitivity training system under following principles and direction is proposed:

 

Principles for the improvement of the gender sensitivity training system

 

 

 

1.Gender equality training is a general concept that means gender-based training programs carried out by the government, and this indicates that all gender-based training programs should be implemented based on gender equality perspective. 2.The ultimate purpose of gender equality training is the accomplishment of gender equality society, and 3.The goals of gender equality training are 1) cultivation of gender egalitarianism among the public and 2) transformation of gender equality attitude in daily life and society. 4.Gender sensitivity training should have basic and essential training contents for all gender equality training programs, and should be required for everyone subject to compulsory gender equality training. 5.Despite the premises mentioned above, there shall not be a independent training system for gender sensitivity training, and relevant training hours, methods, and management system shall be determined within individual compulsory training programs. 6.For violence prevention training programs, the existing training system based on four types of violence and relevant regulations shall be abolished and an integrated platform for violence prevention training shall be established. 7.Target, time, means, and management system for violence prevention training shall be determined and operated within the integrative violence prevention training platform. 8.Target groups subject to violence prevention training shall be expanded. 9.‘Gender sensitivity training’ shall be renamed as ‘job training for gender sensitivity’ to reflect its intention and purpose. 10.Targets of job training for gender sensitivity shall be expanded to public organizations. 11.Training hours for job training for gender sensitivity shall be determined. 12.Management system for job training for gender sensitivity shall be strengthened.

 

Second, it is proposed to change the title of current gender equality training to gender sensitivity training, and to revise the training system as below:

 

Details of the revision of the gender awareness training system

 

 

 

	Current	Revision plan
Title	Gender equality training	Gender sensitivity training
Applicable act	Article 36 of the Framework Act on Gender Equality	Article 36 of the Framework Act on Gender Equality
Aim	Promotion of gender egalitarianism	Cultivation of gender egalitarianism and practice competence to promote society based on gender equality
Contents	Unspecified	Critical understanding of gender role stereotypes Awareness of gender discrimination in culture and social structure Understanding of equal gender relationship Understanding of gender equality and human rights Formation of the will to practice gender equality
Targets of compulsory training	Unspecified	Preschoolers Elementary school students Middle school students High school students College students State and local government workers Employees of other public organizations Employers Medical professionals Legal professionals
Training hours	Unspecified	Implementation within violence prevention training and competency training for gender sensitivity
Training method	Unspecified
Management system	Unspecified	Implementation within violence prevention training and competency training for gender sensitivity with separate specification of the support for training and education program for professional instructors

Third, as the current gender sensitivity training programs require reinforcement of government workers’ job training for gender sensitivity, it is proposed to change the title to job training for gender sensitivity and revise the training system as below:

 

Details of the revision of the gender sensitivity training

 

 

 

	Current	Revision plan
Title	Gender sensitivity training	Job training for gender sensitivity
Applicable act	Article 18 of the Framework Act on Gender Equality	Article 18 of the Framework Act on Gender Equality
Aim	Promotion of the ability to perceive impact of various laws, policies, customs, institutional systems, etc. in all areas of society on women and men	Understanding of laws, institutional systems, customs, etc. in our society from the gender sensitivity perspective and cultivation of the competence to apply the understanding to policy implementation
Contents	？Contents necessary for improvement of competency for gender sensitivity ？Understanding of gender sensitivity perspective such as gender relevance of policies ？Understanding of laws, policies and institutional systems related to gender equality ？Understanding of gender equality society and culture ？Other contents acknowledged by heads of state or local government agencies to be necessary in relation to gender sensitivity	？Inclusion of contents on competency training for gender sensitivity (Article 22.2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on Gender Equality) ？Understanding of the concept of gender mainstreaming and related policies ？Understanding and analysis of institutional systems related to gender sensitivity ？Other contents acknowledged by heads of state or local government agencies to be necessary in relation to gender sensitivity
Targets of compulsory training	State and local government workers Employees of other public organizations	State and local government workers (separate training for employees of other public organizations, ministers, heads of organizations, members of the National Assembly)
Training hours	Unspecified	Within a year after employment or promotion to a higher rank At least once every five years (two hours)
Training methods	Lectures, audiovisual training, training using Internet webpages, etc.	Mainly face-to-face training, participatory training (debate, workshop, etc.) or small group training according to target groups, with utilization of various teaching methods allowed for different contexts
Management system	Unspecified	Implementation on a similar level with violence prevention training

 

Fourth, it is suggested to introduce new legal provisions to integrate applicable legal provisions on four types of violence (sexual harassment, prostitution, domestic violence, sexual violence) and revise the training system accordingly as below:

 

Details of the revision of violence prevention training system

 

 

 

	Current	Revision plan
Applicable act	Article 30.2 of the Framework Act on Gender Equality	Article 30 of the Framework Act on Gender Equality or Article 19 of the Framework Act on Prevention of Violence against Women
Aim	Promotion of gender egalitarianism and creation of safe society and culture	Understanding of gender-based violence that occur in various areas and cultivation of the ability to respond to or prevent violence
Contents	※ Common training contents unspecified ※ Contents according to four types of violence specified	Understanding of the mechanism of how gender-based violence occurs Understanding of sexual self-determination Understanding of sexuality (and gender-based violence) from the gender equality perspective
Operation of violence prevention training	Minimum one hour training each on four types of violence per year	Minimum two hour separate training each on four types of violence applicable to individual groups every three years Additional training suitable for the needs of individual organizations within the overall framework of violence prevention training
Targets of compulsory training and training hours	※ Different contents for different groups ※ Yearly training hours Preschoolers: 1 hour Elementary school students: 2 hours Middle school students: 3 hours High school students: 3 hours College students: 2 hours Government workers: 4 hours Employees of public organizations: 4 hours	※ Different contents for different groups ※ Yearly training hours Preschoolers: 1 hour Elementary school students: 2 hours Middle school students: 3 hours High school students: 3 hours College students: 4 hours Government workers: 4 hours Employees of public organizations: 4 hours Medical/legal professionals: 2 hours
Training methods	- Various methods such as lectures, audiovisual training, training using Internet webpages and face-to-face training	Mainly face-to-face training, participatory training (debate, workshop, etc.) or small group training according to target groups, with utilization of various teaching methods allowed for different contexts
Management system	Different according to four types of violence	Operation by integrating the existing management systems for four types of violence

 

Research areas: Education, Gender Equality Culture, Gender Equality Consciousness

Keywords: Gender Equality Training, Sexual Violence Prevention Training, Gender Sensitivity Training