A Great Chance to Expand Global Vision on Women's Leadership

Congratulations on the occasion of  the World Women's Forum, which is held in Seoul!  I would like to join in and share the enthusiasm of the many leaders participating from home and abroad.

The Women's News is proud to have lead the way in Korea in raising issues and expanding discussions and thus prompting realization of women's leadership through various promotional campaigns and projects. The 'Ten Thousand  Women Leadership Project', organized to build a network of women professionals, and the 'The Award for Future Female Leaders', established to recognize women leaders, are good examples.

The Women's News look very much forward to the Forum which takes under the timely theme, 'Defining Leadership and Success'. The Women's News has groped for new models of woman leadership and tried to help build  networks for women, which could be very valuable social asset. Along with efforts to establish mentorship our efforts not only demonstrates the ever expanding scope of the 'Soft Power' of women but it is an attempt to shift the social paradigm.        

Recently, there has been strong call for women's leadership in the Korean society which is a natural consequence of expanded women's participation in all spectrum of social activities and widespread recognition of woman power. 'Woman Leadership' per se is important but at the same time it is also noted as a new factor in a nation's competitiveness. And yet, the way ahead of us is very long and rough.

According to the United Nations Development Program's GEM(Gender Empowerment Measure) index last year, Korea belonged to the bottom one third bloc among 75 countries of the world. It was a thrilling news to women when the Hoju system, the male-centered household head system,  was abolished in 2005. But it also imposed new missions of the times on women's shoulders as well.

As discriminatory clauses are eliminated in many institutional systems, men and women need to find a new harmonious mode of life in which they cooperate with each other as partners in mutual trust and synergy. A new strategy of promptly changing the target is essential now,  from symbolic equality to substantial equality, from equality in quantity to that in quality. I am sure that women of the world share these same concerns regarding leadership.  

'Woman Leadership', the concurrent pursuit of feminity and success, is not for women alone. It offers new paradigm of success and feminity.  It is also a future-oriented concrete alternative for a heightened quality of life.

Let me thank President Choi, Moon-Soon of the Munwha Broadcasting Company and all those concerned for hosting this forum where in-depth examination and discussions on the potential Women's Leadership will take place. 

 

KIM Hyo-Sun

Publisher & CEO, The Women's News

KIM Hyo-Sun, the publisher, got holds an MA in women's studies from the Graduate School of Ewha Womens University, started out her career when the Women's News was launched in 1989, served as the chief editor, and was named the publisher & CEO in July, 2003. She is now actively engaged with women's issues and by serves as a member of the Korea Media Rating Board, the Korea IT Business Women's Association (KIBWA), and the Korean Institute for Gender Equality Promotion and Education(KIGEPE). She was cited as 'The Ewha Journalist of the Year'  in 2006, and received a citation from the Mayor of Seoul as a successful business woman from the Korea Women Entrepreneurs Association (KWEA).

Major books the Publisher has written include 'Marriages in Our Times'(1994), and 'Win Your Success in Woman's Name with Dignity & Integrity'(2003).

여성리더십의 글로벌 비전 한껏 펼치는 한마당 되길

여성 네트워크 구축의 '1만 여성리더 프로젝트', 여성리더 발굴의 '미래를 이끌어갈 여성지도자상' 등 한국 사회의 여성리더십 화두를 주도해온 여성신문은 '여성리더십과 성공의 재조명'을 주제로 한 이번 세계여성포럼에 기대하는 바가 크다.

이제 여성과 남성은 협력적 파트너가 되어 조화로운 삶을 실현해야 한다. 상징적 평등에서 실질적 평등으로, 양적 평등에서 질적 평등으로 방향전환이 시급한 때다.

이를 위한 '여성리더십'은 성공과 행복에 새 패러다임을 제시하며 삶의 질을 높여줄 미래지향적 구체적 대안이다. 이번 포럼이 여성리더십과 글로벌 리더로서 여성의 비전을 성찰하는 장이 되길 바라마지 않는다.

저작권자 © 여성신문 무단전재 및 재배포 금지