By Park Jung-youn

Women’s Worlds 2005, the 9th International Interdisciplinary Congress on Women (IICW) and the first IICW ever to be held in the Asia-Pacific, opened here in western Seoul at Ewha Womans University yesterday.

The congress opened with the fanfare of nearly 3,000 attendees and congratulatory addresses by major public figures, including the first lady Kwon Yang-suk; Gertrude Mongella, the first female president of the Pan-African parliament; and Ewha Womans University President Shin In-ryung.


First lady Kwon Yang-suk delivers a congratulatory address at an opening ceremony of the 9th International Interdisciplinary Congress on Women (IICW) held in Ewha Womans University, Monday. Over 3,000 participants will discuss the increasing economic and political disparity between the North and the South and the conflicting images of the East and West during the event that will go on in Seoul until June 24.

/ Korea Times


In her public speech, the first lady stressed the need for women to actively participate in making changes to their lives, so that ``we are no longer the victims and passive objects under social pressures, but the subjects of our own lives.’’

She also said that Korean women have done well so far, most recently with the abolition of ``hojuje,’’ or the patriarchal family registry system, as well as the implementation of sex trafficking prevention measures.

Ewha President Shin defined the agenda of this international women’s congress by saying, ``together, we shall figure out ways to solve the increasing economic disparity between the North and South, and cultural conflicts between the East and West through the open discourse.’’

Gertrude Mongella, the keynote speaker for this year’s IICW, also called ``Mama Mongella’’ for her active role as the female politician and women’s rights activist, closed the ceremony with comments that opened the five-day discourse to a full scale.

She said the so-called women’s rights issue is no longer an issue exclusive to women but relevant to society as a whole, adding that is why women’s empowerment and leadership through networking are important to establishing the right kind of democracy.

At a press meeting held right after the opening ceremony, Mongella further went into the details about her background and her visions of the future of the world’s women.

Mogella said that she was fortunate enough to be raised by the parents who supported and encouraged her education and that she feels obligated to do good for other women.

``It was not just my ability or my will that led me to where I am now, but the privileged upbringing _ supportive family and education,’’ she said.

Asked how African women advanced so far to take nearly 50 percent of the seats in the Pan-African parliament, she responded ``strategic participation.’’

African women participated in the nations’ independent wars on the forefront along with the men, and that gave them the chance to speak out.

``Most importantly, we take elections very seriously, and strongly advocate women to register to vote,’’ she said.

``We do not want to elect the wrong kind of leader who would put us down. By actively participating in the election process, women would take part in selecting the kind of leader who would invite us to do our part in promoting democracy,’’ she added.

Moreover with the quarter system, women have set up the groundwork for their political participation, through which they are given chances to prove their capability and to earn public trust.

For example, the Pan-African parliament has come to legally designate one-fifth of its seats to the female members.

In her closing remark at the meeting, Mongella stressed the significance of international women’s gathering like the IICW, to further consolidate a female sorority.

``International conferences provide African women good opportunities to speak out and to address the issues, which in turn helped empower ourselves,’’ said Mongella.

Indeed, the 8th IICW was held in Uganda, and 2,000 people from 95 nations took part in this event, a record high to date.

``The developing countries need to support each other _ if we work together, we will have consolidated the kind of influence that is comparatively equal to the G8 nations,’’ she stressed.