Society That Respects Women

-Happy Mothers in DPRK

 The September 1 issue of Rodong Sinmun, a major newspaper of the DPRK, carried an article titled “547^th Triplets Leave Pyongyang Maternity Hospital.” The brief article runs in part: The triplets (two girls and one boy) left the hospital on August 31 amid a warm send-off from the medical staff.

 Jong Un Hui, the mother of the babies, lives in Phyongsan County town in North Hwanghae Province.

 As soon as she was diagnosed in March as being pregnant with triplets, Jong was referred to the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital.

 At birth the triplets weighed 2.03kg, 1.62kg and 2.11kg respectively. They were in care in incubators. When they left the hospital, they were all in good health, each weighing more than 4kg.

 And the babies and their mother were presented with gold rings and silver daggers by the state as gifts.

The birth of triplets is regarded in the DPRK as a good sign of national prosperity and special measures are taken for them. When women are confirmed as being pregnant with triplets, they are promptly delivered to the maternity hospital, sometimes by airplanes. Triplets are brought up in the hospital until their weight reaches to normal. Even after they leave the hospital, they come under the exclusive care of a doctor and a nurse at state expense at baby homes and orphanages and are provided with adequate living conditions.

 State benefits are not given to the mothers of triplets alone.

 Inaugurated in July 1980, the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital is a modern, comprehensive medical centre for women. Korean women call the hospital their “parents’ home”. Since it was opened to service, a large number of women have received a wide variety of medical services. Free medical service is given to the nursing mothers and all other inpatients. In addition, a well-arranged system is in place to provide nursing mothers with tonics, medicines and nutritional foods, all at state expense. About ten years ago the Breast Tumour Institute of the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital equipped with high-end facilities was built to promote women’s health.

 Recently, the country has established a system of providing the families with many children with preferential treatment in various aspects of life including medical service. Women with many children are awarded high official commendations. Honour titles are conferred on those who have brought up their children admirably.

-Women’s Rights in Contrasting Realities

 As it is said that the hand that rocks the baby in cradle moves the world, women play a significant role in the development of history. Despite this fact, their rights are often ignored in different parts of the world.

 It is regarded as a commonplace in many countries that women are differentially treated. For example, when businesses have to cut jobs due to a depression, they put female workers first on the layoff list. In most of the countries across the world female workers are paid much less than their male colleagues. In America such wage gap is still higher for female workers of African or Latin-American origin.  

 Women also fall prey to all sorts of violence and human trafficking. According to data available, as many as about 240 000 to 350 000 women and children in America are now forced to work as sex slaves. A local newspaper published an article titled “It is high time when we should launch a new war against slave system and human trafficking,” highlighting the country’s dire situation where women are under the targets of human trafficking. The article drew much public attention. The case is the same with other Western countries. About one third of women around the world are not provided with basic human rights.

 However, the women’s rights are thoroughly guaranteed in socialist Korea, not as a legal phrase but in reality.

In this country women enjoy equal political freedom and rights with men and receive preferential treatment and respect in social life. Women from all strata of life, whether they are workers, farmers, intellectuals, sportspersons or artists, become heroes, deputies to the Supreme People’s Assembly (the parliament of the DPRK), officials of power organs and public institutions and enterprises, professors and doctors.

Their dignity and pride have reached the highest stage thanks to General Secretary Kim Jong Un, the country’s supreme leader.

Under his care national celebrations take place on every March 8 International Women’s Day. That day women are given bouquets, congratulatory cards and souvenirs as a token of respect and love for them.

Kim Jong Un made sure that November 16 was designated as Mother’s Day and grand meetings were organized to highlight the pride of the Korean women. In December last year the Fifth National Conference of Mothers was held in his presence in Pyongyang, the capital city of the DPRK. In the conference he made a speech inspiring the mothers across the country. In the speech he clarified the steadfast will of the WPK to struggle more dynamically, regarding it as its honourable duty to try its best to realize mothers’ dream and desire to bring up their children well on the beautiful land of socialism and communism. He sincerely wished all the mothers across the country good health and happiness along with the hearts of all their sons and daughters on this land. In the conference some women were awarded the newly instituted Communist Mother Honour Prize in recognition of the distinguished services they had rendered to the country by discharging the responsibility and duty they assumed as mothers before the society and their families. And gifts were conveyed to all the participants.

- Pomhyanggi-brand Cosmetics of the DPRK

The Pomhyanggi-brand cosmetics produced at the Sinuiju Cosmetics Factory in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are favoured by the people. In particular, the functional cosmetics are very popular among women for their outstanding moisturizing, age-retarding and whitening effects.