SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (HRNW) — Human Rights Watch has warned that South Korean women face systemic gender and age discrimination throughout their working lives, with older women particularly affected by insecure employment, lower wages and inadequate pensions.
In a 92-page report released September 8, Human Rights Watch documented discrimination in hiring, disrupted careers linked to family responsibilities, limited promotion opportunities, sexual harassment and barriers to adequate retirement income.
The organization interviewed 41 South Korean women aged 28 to 87 and consulted 59 experts, including researchers, academics and trade union representatives.
Human Rights Watch said older women face increasingly narrow employment opportunities, with many pushed toward low-paid and insecure jobs in caregiving, cleaning, food service and other sectors.
The organization also highlighted a substantial gender pension gap. It said women’s average National Old Age Pension is 47 percent lower than men’s, while women are more likely to receive reduced pensions because they have not accumulated enough contribution years.
Human Rights Watch called on the South Korean government to address harmful gender and age stereotypes, remove discriminatory practices from employment programs, adopt a comprehensive anti-discrimination law and ensure equal access to adequate pensions.
The findings highlight how discrimination can accumulate over decades, affecting women’s employment, financial security, physical health and dignity in older age.
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Disclaimer:
This article is based on Human Rights Watch’s September 8 report and publicly available information. The findings and assessments are attributed to Human Rights Watch. HRNW presents the report for public-interest journalism and human-rights awareness.
