Teachers Working for Change: Gender equity and the politics of teacher activism in South Korea

Abstract

This paper examines the controversies over the Women's Committee of the Korean Teachers Union (KTU) or Chunkyojo—in particular, the implementation of the quota policy which requires that 50% of the union's representative body be composed of women. Initially, this policy led to concerns that the KTU's militancy may be weakened. However, the increase of women in the local leadership has gradually led to positive changes in the union's work patterns as well. Despite these achievements, the Women's Committee continues to deal with the prevalent “family ideology”, which is reinforced by the structural constraints upon female teachers. This paper suggests that constructing viable gender-sensitive agendas in the progressive teachers' union is not only important for the empowerment of women teachers, but also for constructing a more substantial basis for gender equality education.