Korea Women's Hot Line (KWHL) is a non-profit
women's rights
Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...
activist group, protecting women's rights from all kinds of violence and advancing women's social position as well as establishing
gender equality
Gender equality, also known as sexual equality, gender egalitarianism, or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making, an ...
in the spheres of family, work, and society. In politics, economics, society, and culture, KWHL's purpose is to make women participate actively, thus contributing to this land's peace and democracy.
Contrary to its name, KWHL is not an emergency call center, but a women's movement organization whose biggest issues are eradicating
domestic and sexual violence. KWHL was established in 1983,
in the beginning of the women's movement in
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
, and now has 26 local branches located throughout the country. KWHL oversees counseling centers and shelters for survivors of domestic violence as well as producing films, lobbying and holding symposiums and demonstrations. KWHL is a member of the
Korean Women's Associations United
Korean Women's Associations United (KWAU or ) is an umbrella organization made up of 33 other associations in order to focus on women's issues in South Korea. Along with the Korean National Council of Women (KNCW), KWAU helps coordinate non-gover ...
.
One of KWHL's largest programs is the International Solidarity Program, which networks with other women's
NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
s all over NGO, particularly in women's rights and domestic violence. The Asian Women's Network's third International Symposium ("State Responsibility to Combat Domestic Violence and the Role of the Women's Rights Movement") will be hosted by KWHL here in Korea in September 2008.
KWHL publishes an English newsletter every year, titled "Through Women's Eyes."
KWHL also holds a film festival in Seoul every year to showcase international and domestic films regarding women's rights and struggles. The festival is called the Korea Women's Film Festival (FIWOM).
See also
*
Domestic violence in South Korea Domestic violence in South Korea is the mental, physical, verbal or sexual abuses or crimes of violence committed towards a victim in a domestic setting of marital relations and cohabitation. Domestic violence describes violence towards a domestic p ...
*
Gender inequality in South Korea
In South Korea, gender inequality is derived from deeply rooted ideologies with specifically defined gender-roles. While it remains especially prevalent in South Korea's economy and politics, gender inequality has decreased in healthcare and educat ...
References
External links
* {{official, http://eng.hotline.or.kr
Women's organizations based in South Korea
Women's rights organizations
1983 establishments in South Korea