juan-zhu-blog

[juan-zhu-blog]

Voices Behind the Scene: Korea Women's Hotline

There are the activists who devote themselves to end the violence against women. The society does not recognize their devotion but they have made a progress, enduring all things they face; prejudice, ignorance, and obstruction. They show fortitude.

They are Korea Women’s Hotline, which was established and started to counsel and assist those who were beaten by husbands. It was 1983, the time when Korea was under the authoritarian government and the time before democratization.

The movement to help domestic violence victims started with only two telephones. The counselors got 541 phone calls asking for help in a month. Based on the phone calls, they accumulated the data and analyzed the damage. They felt it should end, so they started a campaign to create the law to protect the victims and punish the criminal. It was not easy at all at that time. When lobbying the member of congress and doing public campaign, people did not pay attention to their voice. “It is family things. We do not need to care for them.” One of congressmen even said “Rain can come into house, but law cannot come into house.”

It was not 1997 until the law regarding domestic violence passed in the National Assembly. However, the law does not operate well. Korea Women’s Hotline is making campaign for revising the law, improving awareness of the crime, and educating people to be a counselor.

When I took the class for counseling the victims, I got to know a woman whose nickname is cherry. She was the victim of domestic violence. She escaped from her husband and got help from Korea Women’s Hotline. She stayed at the shelter provided by the Hotline. There, with the help of the Hotline, she got some psychotherapy, learned how self-reliance, and knew the structural problem of domestic violence. Then, she decided to help the women who suffer just like her. She took the class for counseling, and now she is volunteering.

There have been hundreds of women, who survived from the crime and then give a help to others since the class started in 1983. Korea Women’s Hotline now has 25 branches throughout this country. Korea Women’s Hotline has been at the forefront and at the tail in order to end the domestic violence. It was they who made domestic violence as human rights issues even when it was accepted as general that husband could beat his wife and the beaten wife should understand and endure.

According to UN Women, 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence mostly by an intimate partner; their boyfriends or husband. In 2012, 1 in 2 women killed worldwide were killed by their partners or family. There does exist violence even at home, where we should feel safe.

It has been about 30 years since Korea Women’s Hotline established. We should remember their achievement and story. In Korea history, especially for women’s rights movement, they have played a significant role. We should know and appreciate the works of Korea Women’s Hotline and support their actions in order to end the violence. 

Article about reality of violence against women in Korea >>  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/24/almost-80-south-korean-men-have-abused-girlfriend-study-claims/

30th anniversary video >>https://youtu.be/nhyC5B6Uyho 

Korea Women’s Hotline >> https://hotline.or.kr