Gender ministry to focus on tangible improvements for everyday life

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said Thursday it will focus on measures that bring tangible changes to daily life. The ministry will expand legal aid for victims, tighten responses to digital sex crimes and stalking, and broaden support for families with migrant backgrounds. It also plans an employment equality disclosure system, a nationwide menstrual product program in 2027, and revisions to the Framework Act on Gender Equality.

The ministry plans to double the number of investigators trained to prevent secondary victimization from 2,500 to 5,000.

It aims to expand specialized support for families with migrant backgrounds from four locations this year to 20 in 2027.

The employment equality disclosure system will require companies to disclose gender gaps in employment and pay, along with use of work-family balance programs.

The free menstrual product program is set to go nationwide in 2027 after a pilot program in 12 local government areas this year.

Published Oct 1, 2026 12:09 pm KST

New measures target victim protection, workplace gender gaps, support for diverse families

Gender Equality and Family Minister Won Min-kyung speaks during a press briefing marking the first anniversary of the ministry’s expansion at Government Complex Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced Thursday that it will roll out a range of measures aimed at bringing tangible changes to everyday life.

The ministry was expanded and reorganized on Oct. 1 last year with a broader mandate to promote gender equality for both women and men and ensure equal rights and opportunities regardless of gender.

“Over the past year, we focused on rebuilding the foundation for gender equality policies and bringing government support closer to those in need,” Gender Equality and Family Minister Won Min-kyung said. “In our second year, we will focus on delivering tangible changes that people can feel in their daily lives.”

The ministry will prioritize protecting victims’ rights amid changes to the criminal justice system, including by expanding free legal assistance from the early stages of investigations.

It will also step up efforts to combat digital sex crimes, including deepfake sexual abuse material. It plans to strengthen regulations across the entire process, from the distribution and use of tools used to create such content to its circulation online.

Authorities will also intensify efforts to shut down websites distributing illegal sexual content through faster blocking, criminal investigations and requests to hosting providers to suspend their services.

The ministry will also expand support for victims of stalking and dating violence, including legal assistance from the early stages of investigations and additional housing support. It will also double the number of investigators receiving training to prevent secondary victimization from 2,500 to 5,000.

The ministry also plans to expand specialized support for families with migrant backgrounds from four locations this year to 20 in 2027, offering assistance with emotional well-being, settlement and self-reliance.

The expansion will come under its broader initiative, which aims to provide support regardless of family type or stage of life. Services will range from relationship education and support for single-person households to tailored case management and emergency assistance for families in crisis.

As part of broader efforts to promote gender equality, the ministry plans to introduce an employment equality disclosure system requiring companies to make public key indicators of gender disparities in the workforce.

The system will require companies to disclose gender gaps in employment and pay, as well as the use of work-family balance programs, with the aim of encouraging them to identify and address disparities voluntarily.

The scheme will expand the existing disclosure system, currently being piloted at public institutions, to private companies in phases based on company size. The ministry will also seek to revise the Framework Act on Gender Equality to provide a legal basis for the expansion.

In addition, the ministry plans to take its free menstrual product program nationwide in 2027 following a pilot program in 12 local government areas this year. Public facilities in participating districts and counties have installed dispensers to make menstrual products readily available.

“The expansion of the ministry has underscored the public’s high expectations,” Won said. “We will strengthen its authority and standing so it can fully carry out its responsibilities.”

性别平等与家庭部周四表示，将重点关注能够切实改善日常生活的措施。该部将扩大对受害者的法律援助，加强对网络性犯罪和跟踪骚扰的打击力度，并扩大对移民背景家庭的支持。此外，该部还计划建立就业平等信息披露制度，在2027年推出全国性的经期用品计划，并修订《性别平等框架法》。

该部计划将接受过防止二次受害培训的调查人员数量从 2500 人增加到 5000 人。

其目标是将为移民背景家庭提供的专门支持从今年的四个地点扩大到 2027 年的 20 个地点。

就业平等信息披露制度将要求公司披露就业和薪酬方面的性别差距，以及工作与家庭平衡计划的使用情况。

这项免费卫生巾发放计划在今年于 12 个地方政府辖区进行试点后，将于 2027 年在全国范围内推广。

发布于2026年10月1日下午12:09（韩国标准时间）

新措施旨在保护受害者、缩小职场性别差距、支持多元化家庭。

周四，韩国性别平等与家庭部长官元珉京在首尔政府大楼举行的新闻发布会上发表讲话，庆祝该部扩建一周年。（韩联社）

性别平等和家庭部周四宣布，将推出一系列旨在为日常生活带来切实改变的措施。

该部于去年 10 月 1 日进行了扩充和重组，其更广泛的职责是促进男女性别平等，并确保无论性别如何，人人享有平等的权利和机会。

“过去一年，我们致力于重建性别平等政策的基础，并让政府支持更贴近有需要的人，”性别平等和家庭部长官元敏京表示，“第二年，我们将着重于带来人们在日常生活中能够感受到的切实改变。”

在刑事司法系统改革的过程中，该部将优先保护受害者的权利，包括从调查的早期阶段就扩大免费法律援助的范围。

它还将加大力度打击网络性犯罪，包括深度伪造性虐待材料。它计划加强对整个流程的监管，从此类内容的制作工具的分发和使用，到其在网络上的传播。

当局还将加大力度，通过加快屏蔽速度、展开刑事调查以及要求托管服务提供商暂停服务等方式，关闭传播非法色情内容的网站。

该部门还将扩大对跟踪骚扰和约会暴力受害者的支持，包括从调查初期就提供法律援助和额外的住房支持。此外，接受预防二次受害培训的调查人员人数也将从2500人增加到5000人，翻一番。

该部还计划将对移民背景家庭的专门支持从今年的 4 个地点扩大到 2027 年的 20 个地点，为他们提供情感健康、安顿和自力更生方面的援助。

此次扩建是其更广泛计划的一部分，该计划旨在为所有家庭类型和人生阶段提供支持。服务范围将涵盖关系教育、单身家庭支持、量身定制的个案管理以及针对危机家庭的紧急援助。

作为促进性别平等的更广泛努力的一部分，该部计划引入就业平等信息披露制度，要求公司公开劳动力中性别差异的关键指标。

该系统将要求公司披露就业和薪酬方面的性别差距，以及工作与家庭平衡计划的使用情况，目的是鼓励他们自愿发现并解决不平等现象。

该方案将把目前正在公共机构试点推行的现有信息披露制度，分阶段根据公司规模推广至私营企业。该部还将寻求修订《性别平等框架法》，为此次推广提供法律依据。

此外，卫生部计划在今年于12个地方政府辖区开展试点项目后，于2027年将免费卫生巾发放计划推广至全国。参与试点的区县公共设施已安装自动售货机，方便民众随时领取卫生巾等卫生用品。

元表示：“该部门的扩充凸显了公众的高期望。我们将加强其权威和地位，使其能够全面履行职责。”