FEMALE LEADERSHIP REPRESENTATION AND GENDER MAINSTREAMING EFFORTS: CLOSER LOOK INTO PARK GEUN-HYE’S PRESIDENCY AND CHILDCARE LEAVE POLICY (2013-2016)

Abstract

This thesis aims to answer the research question, “Does Park Geun-Hye’s representation as female president of Korea (2013-2016) translate to gender mainstreaming in the childcare leave policies in the South Korean workforce?”. Methodology being used is qualitative research, narrowing into qualitative coding of 50 Park Geun-Hye (hereinafter PGH)’s speeches, and 26 Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (hereinafter MOGEF)’s PR policy reports with the ministers’ speeches on it, being coded accordingly to the theoretical frameworks being deployed. This thesis finds that PGH’s leadership does results in gender mainstreaming policies in the scale of gender responsive, due to the finding that the Father’s Month childcare policy did not results in change of “norms, cultural values, and power structure”. The Father’s Month policy do mainstreaming of more men/fathers to take part in childcare, in addition to the aforementioned statement, PGH, while addressing the issues and interest of women, furthermore envision the policy to be able to have career interrupted women contributed to the Korean economy, in terms of human resources, while men/fathers take part in Father’s Month childcare leave.