Latest news with #genderdiscrimination
Fox News
an hour ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Parents group urges Trump admin to investigate YMCA over gender identity policies
A parents' group is urging the Trump administration to investigate the YMCA for what it claims is "unlawful gender-based discrimination in its programs and policies." "The YMCA's policy of disfavoring and imperiling young girls and favoring and empowering those who choose to present as a gender other than their own is antithetical to the principles of federal civil rights law and gender equality," Alleigh Marré, executive director of the American Parents Coalition, said in a letter directed to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner. "It is morally wrong and legally impermissible," Marré added in the letter sent Tuesday. Archived pages of the YMCA's website called, "How to Create a Safe Space for LGBTQ+ Campers," and dated July 3, 2017, read "Ensure all campers and staff have access to the facilities aligned with their gender identity and comfort within facility and resource limitations." The page also recommends that youth development professionals "use gender-neutral (or self-identified) pronouns when referencing guardians/parents, partners, families and significant others," and "lift up stories of LGBTQ+ inclusion in trainings, marketing and camp activities." Another archived page, "Affirming LGBTQ+ Communities with Pride," and dated June 7, 2022, states that the institution is meant to unite people "no matter their ability, age, cultural background, ethnicity, faith, gender expression, gender identity, ideology, income, national origin, race or sexual orientation." A current page on the YMCA's website titled, "For All," states that "The Y is made up of people of all ages, from all backgrounds, working side-by-side to strengthen communities. Together, we work to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential with dignity." It adds that their "core values are caring, honesty, respect and responsibility — they guide everything we do." Marré and the American Parents Coalition claim the YMCA is engaging in unlawful gender-based discrimination in its programs and policies and allege the YMCA is violating Title IX since the organization is a recipient of federal funds. On its website, the YMCA states that it receives over $600 million in government grants and over $930 million in non-government grants. "As a recipient of federal financial assistance, it is obligated to comply with the mandates of Title IX of the Education Amendments," the APC letter reads. Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex or gender for entities that receive federal funding. "There is little room for interpretation where the law is so explicit," the letter reads. "This broad prohibition underscores the law's role in eliminating gender-based barriers to women's equal participation in all aspects of programming and activities, providing for "the women of America something that is rightfully theirs—an equal chance. The YMCA's policies permitting biological men to invade the sanctity of spaces set aside for women undoubtably violates this law." The letter also highlights various instances of recent issues at several YMCA locations where women have been subjected to change in the same facilities as men. One such instance was in Kansas City, Missouri, where a biological male is being accused of allegedly exposing themselves to a seven-year-old girl while she was with her mother at a YMCA in North Kansas City. It also mentions a 2022 incident where a 17-year-old girl claimed she saw a transgender woman changing in a women's locker room at a California YMCA. "Perhaps most concerning is not what is known of the YMCA's gender policies, but what is yet unknown. In recent weeks, the YMCA has either restricted access to the portions of its website that deal with gender policies or has taken down those pages altogether," the letter claims. "By no means should one expect that the YMCA is changing its gender policies; rather, the YMCA is shielding those policies and future policies from public scrutiny." The letter also highlights Trump's Jan. 20 executive order banning the use of federal funds to promote gender ideology. Fox News Digital reached out to the Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Education, as well as the YMCA for comment.
New York Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Live Updates: South Koreans Vote After Months of Political Chaos
Many young women joined the rallies calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment after he imposed martial law on South Korea in December. Young South Korean women are often dismissed by men as apolitical, but they were prominent in the movement to impeach former President Yoon Suk Yeol, whom they accused of encouraging contempt and even hatred for them. They were among the first to take to the streets to condemn Mr. Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law in December, enlivening large rallies with K-pop songs and glow sticks. But as South Korea prepares to elect Mr. Yoon's replacement on June 3, many women say their priorities — making the country safer and fairer for them — are taking a back seat, and not for the first time. They endure some of the worst gender-based discrimination in the developed world, including lower pay and underrepresentation in management and politics, as well as rampant online sexual abuse that the law has done little to stop. But addressing such issues has become one of South Korea's most politically delicate subjects. With the economy in a slump and jobs scarce, many young men consider themselves victims of reverse discrimination and bristle at any hint of a feminist agenda in government. Mr. Yoon and his right-wing People Power Party leveraged such sentiments to win the young male vote, and the presidency, in 2022. During the campaign, he said there was no structural discrimination against women in South Korea. Lee Jae-myung, who lost that election to Mr. Yoon by a razor-thin margin, has a substantial lead in the polls this time. But though he has recognized the 'leading role' that young women played in Mr. Yoon's ouster, Mr. Lee and his left-wing Democratic Party are being careful not to provoke male voters with messages that could be seen as feminist. Image Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election to Mr. Yoon, has a substantial polling lead in the June 3 election to replace him. Credit... Chang W. Lee/The New York Times As a result, neither Mr. Lee nor his conservative main rival, Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party, is saying much about women's issues. Some women have concluded that nothing will change, regardless of who wins. 'We only have poor options in this election,' said Park Jia, who leads a gender equality education center run by the Seoul Women's Association. 'Sure, many women will vote for Lee Jae-myung — not because they expect him to be a great leader for women, but because they are desperate to keep the other side, the conservatives, from power and stop the regression.' On average, South Korean women are paid 31 percent less than men, the widest gap in the developed world. They hold less than one-fifth of legislative seats, just three of the government's 29 top positions and 14.6 percent of senior corporate management roles (the average among wealthy nations is 33.8 percent). All six presidential candidates are men. The country's only female president, the conservative Park Geun-hye, was impeached in 2016. Many women who joined the rallies that precipitated her ouster said they wanted to drive out a corrupt leader, but they also hoped for a president who would do more to protect them from violent crime and online misogyny. Moon Jae-in, who was elected to replace Ms. Park, promised to be a 'feminist president.' But he did not live up to that moniker. An anti-feminist backlash, part of a global trend, kicked in, driven largely by conservative Christian churches and young men. 'Feminist' is now such a forbidden word that some women are afraid to use it in online profiles. Some are even reluctant to take women's studies classes, fearing that they will be targeted for abuse. As part of his bid for young men's votes in 2022, Mr. Yoon promised to abolish the ministry of gender equality. He did not follow through, but during his presidency, the national gender equality index, which the ministry has compiled since 2010, fell for the first time. When Mr. Yoon declared martial law, women were ready to strike back. Image A protest against Mr. Yoon in central Seoul in December. Women accused him of fanning misogynistic sentiment to win the young male vote in 2022. Credit... Chang W. Lee/The New York Times 'For us, it was very personal,' said Jang Hyun-ji, 28, a digital comics artist. 'We joined the rallies against him not only because his martial law undermined our democracy, but also because he became president by encouraging hatred and discrimination against women.' Women in their 20s were the most highly represented group in the rallies calling for Mr. Yoon's ouster, while men of that age were largely 'silent' and 'cynical,' Hanna Kim, a political scientist at Chinju National University of Education, said in a study published by the East Asia Institute. Young women channeled their K-pop fandom into political activism, supplanting the refrains of hit songs with slogans like 'Out, Out, Yoon Suk Yeol Out!' 'His impeachment was a victory for women, proof that women have become a leading force in society,' said Park Min-ju, 27, a rally M.C. who interspersed protest music with K-pop. After Mr. Yoon was driven out — the National Assembly impeached him in December, and a court formally removed him last month — women demanded their dividend. Rights groups called on the new government to fill half of its decision-making positions with women. They also wanted more government support for child care, since women are often forced to leave work to care for their children. But for the major presidential candidates, such concerns have been sidelined by the need to chase the elusive, and sharply divided, youth vote. Mr. Lee's popularity is lowest among men in their 20s and Mr. Kim's among women in their 20s, according to surveys. But there are also more swing voters among young adults than any other demographic. Image Campaign banners in Seoul. None of the presidential candidates have said much about the discrimination and misogyny faced by women. Credit... Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images Mr. Lee has been careful not to say anything that could galvanize anti-feminist emotions. Some of his campaign promises are aimed at helping women, like tougher punishments for dating violence and digital sex crimes, as well as police hotlines for women who own small businesses like shops and restaurants. Mr. Lee has also said he would require corporations to make gender-based disparities public, including pay gaps. But Mr. Lee has been silent about some of the top priorities among women's groups, such as anti-discrimination legislation and expanding the definition of rape to include sex without consent (currently, the law requires violence or explicit coercion). 'His strategy is to ignore the gender equality agenda, because he sees it as a stumbling block against his election,' the Korea Women's Political Network, a feminist civic group, said in a statement. Mr. Lee has denied such accusations. He has acknowledged that women face structural discrimination, and he has vowed to create more jobs, saying it would ease the economic stress that fuels gender conflict among young South Koreans. If young female voters are less than satisfied with Mr. Lee, many see Mr. Kim as a worse choice. Image Kim Moon-soo, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, campaigning in Seoul this month. Credit... Anthony Wallace/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Mr. Kim says he will seek 'gender equality in military service' by letting more women join the armed forces. He wants young men to get workplace benefits after they finish their mandatory military service. To boost South Korea's low birthrate, Mr. Kim has promised tax breaks and more affordable child care and housing for young people who marry and have children. But women have bristled at appeals from the government to have children, given the difficulty of pursuing both motherhood and a career. Mr. Kim once addressed the birthrate issue by saying that South Korean women would rather take care of a dog than have a baby. He has also been criticized for recruiting a campaign organizer with a reputation for being anti-feminist. Many women say there is no one in the race who clearly deserves their support. 'Women like me will never vote for the candidate of the People Power Party,' said Jeong Eun-byeol, a college student. 'That makes the Democratic Party treat us like fish already caught.' Still, some are willing to give Mr. Lee the benefit of the doubt. 'We don't have any option other than to trust and vote for him,' said Kim Do-won, 28. 'If he is not doing well after his election, we can protest again.'
New York Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Live Updates: South Koreans Are Voting For President After Months of Tumult
Many young women joined the rallies calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment after he imposed martial law on South Korea in December. Young South Korean women are often dismissed by men as apolitical, but they were prominent in the movement to impeach former President Yoon Suk Yeol, whom they accused of encouraging contempt and even hatred for them. They were among the first to take to the streets to condemn Mr. Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law in December, enlivening large rallies with K-pop songs and glow sticks. But as South Korea prepares to elect Mr. Yoon's replacement on June 3, many women say their priorities — making the country safer and fairer for them — are taking a back seat, and not for the first time. They endure some of the worst gender-based discrimination in the developed world, including lower pay and underrepresentation in management and politics, as well as rampant online sexual abuse that the law has done little to stop. But addressing such issues has become one of South Korea's most politically delicate subjects. With the economy in a slump and jobs scarce, many young men consider themselves victims of reverse discrimination and bristle at any hint of a feminist agenda in government. Mr. Yoon and his right-wing People Power Party leveraged such sentiments to win the young male vote, and the presidency, in 2022. During the campaign, he said there was no structural discrimination against women in South Korea. Lee Jae-myung, who lost that election to Mr. Yoon by a razor-thin margin, has a substantial lead in the polls this time. But though he has recognized the 'leading role' that young women played in Mr. Yoon's ouster, Mr. Lee and his left-wing Democratic Party are being careful not to provoke male voters with messages that could be seen as feminist. Image Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election to Mr. Yoon, has a substantial polling lead in the June 3 election to replace him. Credit... Chang W. Lee/The New York Times As a result, neither Mr. Lee nor his conservative main rival, Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party, is saying much about women's issues. Some women have concluded that nothing will change, regardless of who wins. 'We only have poor options in this election,' said Park Jia, who leads a gender equality education center run by the Seoul Women's Association. 'Sure, many women will vote for Lee Jae-myung — not because they expect him to be a great leader for women, but because they are desperate to keep the other side, the conservatives, from power and stop the regression.' On average, South Korean women are paid 31 percent less than men, the widest gap in the developed world. They hold less than one-fifth of legislative seats, just three of the government's 29 top positions and 14.6 percent of senior corporate management roles (the average among wealthy nations is 33.8 percent). All six presidential candidates are men. The country's only female president, the conservative Park Geun-hye, was impeached in 2016. Many women who joined the rallies that precipitated her ouster said they wanted to drive out a corrupt leader, but they also hoped for a president who would do more to protect them from violent crime and online misogyny. Moon Jae-in, who was elected to replace Ms. Park, promised to be a 'feminist president.' But he did not live up to that moniker. An anti-feminist backlash, part of a global trend, kicked in, driven largely by conservative Christian churches and young men. 'Feminist' is now such a forbidden word that some women are afraid to use it in online profiles. Some are even reluctant to take women's studies classes, fearing that they will be targeted for abuse. As part of his bid for young men's votes in 2022, Mr. Yoon promised to abolish the ministry of gender equality. He did not follow through, but during his presidency, the national gender equality index, which the ministry has compiled since 2010, fell for the first time. When Mr. Yoon declared martial law, women were ready to strike back. Image A protest against Mr. Yoon in central Seoul in December. Women accused him of fanning misogynistic sentiment to win the young male vote in 2022. Credit... Chang W. Lee/The New York Times 'For us, it was very personal,' said Jang Hyun-ji, 28, a digital comics artist. 'We joined the rallies against him not only because his martial law undermined our democracy, but also because he became president by encouraging hatred and discrimination against women.' Women in their 20s were the most highly represented group in the rallies calling for Mr. Yoon's ouster, while men of that age were largely 'silent' and 'cynical,' Hanna Kim, a political scientist at Chinju National University of Education, said in a study published by the East Asia Institute. Young women channeled their K-pop fandom into political activism, supplanting the refrains of hit songs with slogans like 'Out, Out, Yoon Suk Yeol Out!' 'His impeachment was a victory for women, proof that women have become a leading force in society,' said Park Min-ju, 27, a rally M.C. who interspersed protest music with K-pop. After Mr. Yoon was driven out — the National Assembly impeached him in December, and a court formally removed him last month — women demanded their dividend. Rights groups called on the new government to fill half of its decision-making positions with women. They also wanted more government support for child care, since women are often forced to leave work to care for their children. But for the major presidential candidates, such concerns have been sidelined by the need to chase the elusive, and sharply divided, youth vote. Mr. Lee's popularity is lowest among men in their 20s and Mr. Kim's among women in their 20s, according to surveys. But there are also more swing voters among young adults than any other demographic. Image Campaign banners in Seoul. None of the presidential candidates have said much about the discrimination and misogyny faced by women. Credit... Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images Mr. Lee has been careful not to say anything that could galvanize anti-feminist emotions. Some of his campaign promises are aimed at helping women, like tougher punishments for dating violence and digital sex crimes, as well as police hotlines for women who own small businesses like shops and restaurants. Mr. Lee has also said he would require corporations to make gender-based disparities public, including pay gaps. But Mr. Lee has been silent about some of the top priorities among women's groups, such as anti-discrimination legislation and expanding the definition of rape to include sex without consent (currently, the law requires violence or explicit coercion). 'His strategy is to ignore the gender equality agenda, because he sees it as a stumbling block against his election,' the Korea Women's Political Network, a feminist civic group, said in a statement. Mr. Lee has denied such accusations. He has acknowledged that women face structural discrimination, and he has vowed to create more jobs, saying it would ease the economic stress that fuels gender conflict among young South Koreans. If young female voters are less than satisfied with Mr. Lee, many see Mr. Kim as a worse choice. Image Kim Moon-soo, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, campaigning in Seoul this month. Credit... Anthony Wallace/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Mr. Kim says he will seek 'gender equality in military service' by letting more women join the armed forces. He wants young men to get workplace benefits after they finish their mandatory military service. To boost South Korea's low birthrate, Mr. Kim has promised tax breaks and more affordable child care and housing for young people who marry and have children. But women have bristled at appeals from the government to have children, given the difficulty of pursuing both motherhood and a career. Mr. Kim once addressed the birthrate issue by saying that South Korean women would rather take care of a dog than have a baby. He has also been criticized for recruiting a campaign organizer with a reputation for being anti-feminist. Many women say there is no one in the race who clearly deserves their support. 'Women like me will never vote for the candidate of the People Power Party,' said Jeong Eun-byeol, a college student. 'That makes the Democratic Party treat us like fish already caught.' Still, some are willing to give Mr. Lee the benefit of the doubt. 'We don't have any option other than to trust and vote for him,' said Kim Do-won, 28. 'If he is not doing well after his election, we can protest again.'
Irish Times
27-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Boy (16) wins €9,000 equality claim over wearing earring at school
A 16-year-old transition year student has won €9,000 in compensation for gender-based discrimination and victimisation after he was punished for wearing an earring to school at the start of term last year. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has ruled that his school's uniform policy was indirectly discriminatory on gender grounds, favouring female students over males by requiring ear studs to be worn in pairs – and has ordered the rule changed. The decision on the boy's claim against the school under the Equal Status Act 2000 was published on Tuesday by the tribunal in anonymised form. The school had denied his claim. The student arrived to school at the start of the new term on August 30th last year with the upper cartilage of his left ear newly pierced and a round silver stud through it, the tribunal heard at hearings in November and December 2024. READ MORE The school considered it to be in breach of the uniform rules in its code of behaviour, which forbids 'all body piercings except one small stud in each ear', the tribunal heard. 'I think their intention is that boys don't wear studs ... I think they know boys won't pierce the other ear because they'll be called gay, they'll be called names. They won't go through the hassle of it, and they'll take it out,' the claimant told the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) at a hearing December last. Asked why he chose to wear the ear stud, the young man said: 'It's my grandad – it's a sense of my personality, following in the footsteps.' The student's solicitor, Gerard Cullen, said his client was presented with choices to either 'remove the stud or pierce the other ear' or complete the three week healing process with a plaster covering the piercing. He called that 'interference with bodily integrity'. Counsel for the school Kevin Roche BL, appearing instructed by Mason Hayes and Curran, said that after the young man instructed a solicitor in the matter, he had been sent a legal letter to say he would be considered to be 'in compliance' if he 'covered the ear with plaster'. He said that had already been offered to the young man, and rejected. The boy's grandmother told the tribunal her husband and all of her sons had worn piercings in their left ears – and that she considered this the usual practice for a man to wear one. A row broke out at a meeting between the boy and his family and the principal and deputy principal on September 4th, 2024, when the claimant's mother and grandmother came to the school, the tribunal heard. The complainant's case is that in the weeks that followed he was subject to sanctions, including being placed sitting outside the principal's office, being denied leave to go down to the town on his lunch break, and being assigned to evening detention which would have meant missing his bus home. The school's position is that it followed its disciplinary code at all times and sought to de-escalate the matter – with its barrister telling the tribunal that the first mention of legal action was on the part the complainant's solicitor. In his decision, adjudicator Brian Dalton wrote that the 'apparently neutral' rule on ear studs was discriminatory on the grounds of gender. He added that since the claimant had complained about that rule being unfair, it followed that the sanctions 'solely arose because of [his] objection to an unfair practice' and amounted to victimisation. Mr Dalton ordered the school to amend its rule on body piercings 'so that it facilitates the wearing of one or two earrings'. He directed the school to pay €9,000 in compensation to the young man.
New York Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
As South Korea Gets Ready to Vote, Women Don't Like the Choices
Young South Korean women are often dismissed by men as apolitical, but they were prominent in the movement to impeach former President Yoon Suk Yeol, whom they accused of encouraging contempt and even hatred for them. They were among the first to take to the streets to condemn Mr. Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law in December, enlivening large rallies with K-pop songs and glow sticks. But as South Korea prepares to elect Mr. Yoon's replacement on June 3, many women say their priorities — making the country safer and fairer for them — are taking a back seat, and not for the first time. They endure some of the worst gender-based discrimination in the developed world, including lower pay and underrepresentation in management and politics, as well as rampant online sexual abuse that the law has done little to stop. But addressing such issues has become one of South Korea's most politically delicate subjects. With the economy in a slump and jobs scarce, many young men consider themselves victims of reverse discrimination and bristle at any hint of a feminist agenda in government. Mr. Yoon and his right-wing People Power Party leveraged such sentiments to win the young male vote, and the presidency, in 2022. During the campaign, he said there was no structural discrimination against women in South Korea. Lee Jae-myung, who lost that election to Mr. Yoon by a razor-thin margin, has a substantial lead in the polls this time. But though he has recognized the 'leading role' that young women played in Mr. Yoon's ouster, Mr. Lee and his left-wing Democratic Party are being careful not to provoke male voters with messages that could be seen as feminist. As a result, neither Mr. Lee nor his conservative main rival, Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party, is saying much about women's issues. Some women have concluded that nothing will change, regardless of who wins. 'We only have poor options in this election,' said Park Jia, who leads a gender equality education center run by the Seoul Women's Association. 'Sure, many women will vote for Lee Jae-myung — not because they expect him to be a great leader for women, but because they are desperate to keep the other side, the conservatives, from power and stop the regression.' On average, South Korean women are paid 31 percent less than men, the widest gap in the developed world. They hold less than one-fifth of legislative seats, just three of the government's 29 top positions and 14.6 percent of senior corporate management roles (the average among wealthy nations is 33.8 percent). All six presidential candidates are men. The country's only female president, the conservative Park Geun-hye, was impeached in 2016. Many women who joined the rallies that precipitated her ouster said they wanted to drive out a corrupt leader, but they also hoped for a president who would do more to protect them from violent crime and online misogyny. Moon Jae-in, who was elected to replace Ms. Park, promised to be a 'feminist president.' But he did not live up to that moniker. An anti-feminist backlash, part of a global trend, kicked in, driven largely by conservative Christian churches and young men. 'Feminist' is now such a forbidden word that some women are afraid to use it in online profiles. Some are even reluctant to take women's studies classes, fearing that they will be targeted for abuse. As part of his bid for young men's votes in 2022, Mr. Yoon promised to abolish the ministry of gender equality. He did not follow through, but during his presidency, the national gender equality index, which the ministry has compiled since 2010, fell for the first time. When Mr. Yoon declared martial law, women were ready to strike back. 'For us, it was very personal,' said Jang Hyun-ji, 28, a digital comics artist. 'We joined the rallies against him not only because his martial law undermined our democracy, but also because he became president by encouraging hatred and discrimination against women.' Women in their 20s were the most highly represented group in the rallies calling for Mr. Yoon's ouster, while men of that age were largely 'silent' and 'cynical,' Hanna Kim, a political scientist at Chinju National University of Education, said in a study published by the East Asia Institute. Young women channeled their K-pop fandom into political activism, supplanting the refrains of hit songs with slogans like 'Out, Out, Yoon Suk Yeol Out!' 'His impeachment was a victory for women, proof that women have become a leading force in society,' said Park Min-ju, 27, a rally M.C. who interspersed protest music with K-pop. After Mr. Yoon was driven out — the National Assembly impeached him in December, and a court formally removed him last month — women demanded their dividend. Rights groups called on the new government to fill half of its decision-making positions with women. They also wanted more government support for child care, since women are often forced to leave work to care for their children. But for the major presidential candidates, such concerns have been sidelined by the need to chase the elusive, and sharply divided, youth vote. Mr. Lee's popularity is lowest among men in their 20s and Mr. Kim's among women in their 20s, according to surveys. But there are also more swing voters among young adults than any other demographic. Mr. Lee has been careful not to say anything that could galvanize anti-feminist emotions. Some of his campaign promises are aimed at helping women, like tougher punishments for dating violence and digital sex crimes, as well as police hotlines for women who own small businesses like shops and restaurants. Mr. Lee has also said he would require corporations to make gender-based disparities public, including pay gaps. But Mr. Lee has been silent about some of the top priorities among women's groups, such as anti-discrimination legislation and expanding the definition of rape to include sex without consent (currently, the law requires violence or explicit coercion). 'His strategy is to ignore the gender equality agenda, because he sees it as a stumbling block against his election,' the Korea Women's Political Network, a feminist civic group, said in a statement. Mr. Lee has denied such accusations. He has acknowledged that women face structural discrimination, and he has vowed to create more jobs, saying it would ease the economic stress that fuels gender conflict among young South Koreans. If young female voters are less than satisfied with Mr. Lee, many see Mr. Kim as a worse choice. Mr. Kim says he will seek 'gender equality in military service' by letting more women join the armed forces. He wants young men to get workplace benefits after they finish their mandatory military service. To boost South Korea's low birthrate, Mr. Kim has promised tax breaks and more affordable child care and housing for young people who marry and have children. But women have bristled at appeals from the government to have children, given the difficulty of pursuing both motherhood and a career. Mr. Kim once addressed the birthrate issue by saying that South Korean women would rather take care of a dog than have a baby. He has also been criticized for recruiting a campaign organizer with a reputation for being anti-feminist. Many women say there is no one in the race who clearly deserves their support. 'Women like me will never vote for the candidate of the People Power Party,' said Jeong Eun-byeol, a college student. 'That makes the Democratic Party treat us like fish already caught.' Still, some are willing to give Mr. Lee the benefit of the doubt. 'We don't have any option other than to trust and vote for him,' said Kim Do-won, 28. 'If he is not doing well after his election, we can protest again.'
