President Chang, announced achievements of female leadership education at a forum by Indian Embassy
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- Writer 커뮤니케이션팀
- 보도일자 2022-04-18
On March 24, President Yoonkeum Chang attended the forum titled the ‘Conversation on Breaking the Stereotypes: Gender Roles in India and Republic of Korea’ hosted by the Indian Embassy in Korea.
Female leaders who have achieved success in academic, economic, and diplomatic fields from both Korea and India were invited to this forum to discuss the impacts of stereotypes of gender role and gender equality education on future generations, as well as the roles of the expansion of education and employment opportunities in breaking the stereotype of femininity.
The panel was attended by Sripriya Ranganathan, Ambassador of India to Korea, Heekyung Min, Executive Vice President of CJ Group and Santishree Pandit, Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, one of India＇s top universities, as well as President Chang. In consideration of the COVID-19 situation, the entire discussion was held online, which was moderated by Sonu Trivedi, Director of the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Center, Seoul.
At the forum, President Chang explained the gender gap problem caused by stereotypes of gender role and inequality in education and employment, and emphasized the importance of education to overcome it. For example, since the proportion of men in such fields as ICT, STEM, or start-ups, etc. is significantly higher than that of women, it is necessary to make efforts at the university level to reduce this kind of gender gap. As one of the solutions to this, President Chang introduced the UNESCO-UNITWIN cooperation project and education for women entrepreneurs implemented by Sookmyung Women’s University.
In particular, President Chang emphasized the need for a strategic approach in the Corona era, saying that the time for women’s housework and care work has rapidly increased compared to that for men＇s due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that various gender equality indicators have deteriorated. She mentioned alternatives such as online mentoring networks and continuing to hold forums to inspire a new generation.
Finally, citing statistics of the World Economic Forum that the percentage of women occupying major positions in Korea＇s private and public sectors is only 27%, President Chang said that she would encourage more female students to become pioneers in their fields.
The forum was held for about an hour in English, and the discussion was followed by an open talk between online participants.
The forum was held for about an hour in English, and the discussion was followed by an open talk between online participants.