“Women’s United Nations General Assembly” Commences Today in Seoul

The ninth session of the International Interdisciplinary Congress on Women, also referred to as the “Women’s United Nations General Assembly,” will be held from June 20 to June 24 at venues including Ewha, Sogang, and Yonsei universities.

Around 3,000 women’s studies scholars and women’s rights activists will be gathering from approximately 80 countries to participate in this event, co-hosted by the Korean Association of Women’s Studies and Ewha Women’s University.

Gertrude Mongella, president of the Pan-African Parliament, Irene Dankelman, a world-renowned ecologist, and Nancy Folbre, an economist who specializes in feminist theory, will be among the speakers to debate in the congressional program on issues regarding social, cultural, political, economical, environmental, and bio-technological matters.

It is of note that this year, under the theme of “Embracing the Earth: East-West/North-South,” women’s studies scholars and activists will address the issue of seeking ways to solve cultural conflicts between East and West as well as the growing economic disparity between North and South.

The opening ceremony will begin at 9:00 a.m. on June 20, at the grand auditorium at Ewha Women’s University, in the presence of Shin In-ryung, president of Ewha Women’s University, Kim Ae-sil, president of the Women’s Affairs Committee of the National Assembly, Marilyn Safir, the founder and chairman of the first International Interdisciplinary Congress on Women, and Jang Ha-jin, minister of Gender Equality.

An event to celebrate the eve of the opening was held on June 19 starting at 7:00 p.m. at Gyeongheegung (Gyeonghee Palace), hosted by Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak. Among the 1,600 or so participants celebrating the occasion were Chang Pil-wha, convener of the organizing committee, Lee Hye-Kyung, president of the Korean Association of Women’s Studies, and Park Geun-hye, Grand National Party lawmaker.

The honorary president for this session’s congress will be First Lady Kwon Yang-sook.

Jin-Kyeong Kim kjk9@donga.com syroh@donga.com