1、DANIEL HICKS,JENNIFER BOUEY,LYNN HU,AGNES XIANGZHEN WANGPromoting Gender Equality in South KoreaSeeking Transformational PoliciesIn South Korea,as in many countries in the Asia-Pacific region,women commonly face barri-ers that impede critical life choices.For instance,workplace hurdles restrict and

2、disincentivize womens careers.Barriers include discrimination,large pay gaps,inflexible workplace cultures,and disproportionate societal expectations regarding caregiving.Gender inequity is embedded within familial structures and has manifested into unprecedently low(and declining)marriage and ferti

3、lity rates,polarized political attitudes,and vocal debates over gender roles.1 In recent years,KEY FINDINGS Gender inequity measures reveal an unequal society in South Korea in which women are often marginalized.Korean women earn 65 percent of what their male counterparts earn,the larg-est pay gap a

4、mong Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development economies.The large pay gap,a lack of opportunities in the workplace,and expectations for women to be primary caregivers pressure women to withdraw from the labor force.Gender inequity in South Korea is rooted in a patrilineal system of inh

5、eritance,ancestor com-memoration rituals,and norms that dictate hierarchical roles within the household.Gender roles have been reinforced by historical events,including economic development,military modernization,and rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.A dearth of women in high-profile positions

6、 within the Korean government and industry has left the country with few female role models.In the past half-century,legislative reforms and programs have been enacted to reduce dis-parities,including the Sexual Equality Employment Act(1987),the Mother-Child Welfare Act(1991),and the establishment o