Name: Himani Umesh Piryani

Committee: United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

Country: The Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Agenda: Addressing exploitation and discrimination against women on media.

Lee Chun Seok, a former teacher in Ryanggang province who fled from North Korea in 2013,
once told Human Rights Watch that "men represent the sky, while women represent the earth.
The thoughts and words of men are the most important. We are compelled to obey men's
demands, adore them, and show them respect.”

North Korea, known for having some of the worst human rights violations in the world,
continues to have a complicated situation for its women, shaped by traditional customs,
socialist beliefs, and the authoritarian rule of the government. Although the state propaganda
of North Korea portrays women as "cogs in the revolutionary wheel of society," in realistic
terms, women are expected to perform the role of "faithful housekeepers." Girls since a
young age are told to not resist any sort of abuse or inequality, and to be ashamed if they do
become the targets of male abuse; moreover, they are told to maintain an image of “sexual
purity” before marriage. In the 2018 report "You Cry at Night but Don't Know Why" by
Human Rights Watch, the female teachers as well as students revealed how the boys were
given priority in terms of leadership and about how the male teachers usually made the
decision, regardless of women being the majority in the school. Moreover, women face a
significant fall in pay rates as compared to men and are not giving opportunities to work in
fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Despite increase
in the number of women representatives in the government bodies over the years, there have
been no significant policy changes, as in their opinions aren’t given much value.

However, the North Korean leadership has not remained completely silent on the issue of
women's rights. The nation has implemented numerous laws and changes in the past few
years to better serve their women. The Women's Union operates alongside other campaigns
that the North Korean government launched to highlight the importance of various forms of
labour carried out by women. These campaigns include the Speed Creation Movement of the
1980s, the Daesan Enterprise Management System, the Chollima Movement, the Shock
Troops Recovery Campaign, the Cheongsan-ri Campaign, and the Campaign to Win the Tree
Revolution Red Flag. Many of these movements were founded with the intention of
promoting women's increased involvement in government-run businesses. In 1957, the
country launched a five-year plan for economic development, urging more women to
participate in the nation's economic growth by highlighting how the ideological shift would
enable them to become communist builders.
The suffering of the North Korean women is the most obvious in Kim regime's, however
there are certain measures that the country can take to improve its stance on women’s status.
Firstly, the North Korean government and foreign embassies must work together to start UN-
sponsored seminars and awareness campaigns, via state-controlled media channels, to ensure
safer working conditions for women. Secondly, the government must provide support and
resources to the women owned media outlets. This would help in amplifying diverse women
perspectives and addressing numerous women issues. Thirdly, NGOs should look
for strategies to encourage female entrepreneurs in the DPRK by giving technological
equipment and training sessions in numerous fields of science and engineering. To strengthen
all the above-mentioned initiatives, the government must pass laws and emphasize on
penalties that may be faced in case of gender discrimination within the country, or in case of
harassment and exploitation of women through media, or other mediums. Media is a
powerful tool, but it's how we use it that makes a difference. It's time to use it to empower
women and challenge stereotypes.

Bibliography-
 Submission on rights of women and girls in North Korea for the Special Rapporteur’s
report to the 52nd human rights council session in March 2023 (2023) Human Rights
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 Lee, S.Y. (2024) The dire state of women’s rights in North Korea, – The Diplomat.
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