The Women’s Standing Committee (chief: Han Young-sil) of NUAC held its 8th committee meeting on Feb. 3 to discuss “Efficient support for North Korean women refugees to settle successfully in South Korean society.”

“The tenure of the members of the 16th council will end soon. Let’s do our best to unify the country. I wish all the members will discuss seriously how to support the North Korean women refugees most efficiently to help them settle in our society successfully,” Han said in her opening speech.

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  Han Young-sil Delivering the Opening Speech

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  Song Eun-hee, Secretary of the Committee

According to Prof. Jang Myung-sun of Ewha Women’s Univ., the number of people escaping from North Korea is increasing continuously among the North Korean refugees, and we need to provide service for them in the aspect of recognizing their gender. In this regard, we should establish comprehensive mid- and long-term support policy from the viewpoint of gender, family, social integrity, and unification policy, she said.

As such, she suggested the following: △ providing services for employment and support for business startup in accordance with their demand and individual characteristics; △ providing consulting and healing programs for their stable settlement such as childcare service and consulting to solve the conflicts between husband and wife and parents and children; △ establishing cooperation systems among the central and local governments, civil organizations, and relevant government departments in the area, and; △ strengthening education to improve social recognition of North Korean women refugees and understanding mutual culture.

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  Prof. Jang Myung-sun of Ewha Women’s Univ.

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  Members of the Standing Committee on Women

Various suggestions were made during the discussion: △ providing a one-stop support system for them by combining services separated into several places; △ setting up a government certification system for them so that companies have no qualms about employing them, and; △ establishing a mentor-mentee network systematically between South Korean women and those who escaped from North Korea.

Discussions held during the day will be combined with those of other committees and will be reported to the president in March.