Rapid Growth-What's Next for Gender Mainstreaming? Analyzing the Gender Impact Assessment System in Korea

Abstract

While the gender impact assessment (GIA) system has been expanding in Korea with surprising and impressive speed, its actual influence on policies and programs remains quite uncertain. By conducting in-depth interviews with 16 frontline public officials and by systematically comparing it with environmental impact assessment (EIA) and regulatory impact assessment (RIA), the present study evaluates the current GIA system in Korea and identifies areas and issues for future improvement. Our findings show that an independent law, a separate managing division, clear criteria for selecting target policies and programs, and solid assessment measures are critical requirements for successful GIAs. In addition, we find that one of the most essential tasks is overcoming cultural resistance, especially the low priority gender issues have for male policy decision makers.