Democracy and Gender Inequality in East Asia

Paper Abstract

Why is the level of women’s political representation higher in Taiwan than in Korea or Japan? Why is anti-feminist backslash more severe in Korea than other Asian democracies? Even though East Asian democracies -Taiwan, Japan and South Korea -showed remarkable resilience, the gender aspect remains elusive. Drawing upon historical and quantitative data, I show the institutional and perceptive variations on gender equality across East Asian democracies and explain why such variations may exist. Specifically, I focus on how different democratizing trajectories may have influenced the patterns of women’s political empowerment in the region. Tracing the divergent paths toward gender equality across these countries, this project suggests that realizing women’s political equality may not automatically follow from democratization per se ; it involves deliberate efforts to mobilize, mainstream and empower gender issues in the democratic system.

Speaker's Bio

Min Hee Go is associate professor in the department of political science and international relations at Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea. Prior to joining Ewha, Go earned her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and taught as assistant professor at Brooklyn College, the City University of New York (CUNY). Her research interests broadly concern key issues in diversity and sustainability, including gender & racial politics, sustainable development, and inequality. Her current project, tentatively titled Making Gender Political: The Democratic Roots of Gender Inequality in East Asia, examines variations in gender equality in East Asia. Focusing on three democratic countries - Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, this book explores why Asian countries show different public perceptions and institutional tolerance on gender equality. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation (US), Taiwan Fellowship, the National Research Foundation of Korea, and Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research.

Discussant

Ki-young Shin, Ph.D. (Professor, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan)

Host or Publisher School of International Service