North Korea has encouraged women to contribute to factories and labor-intensive economic sectors such as mining.
On May 20, Rodong Sinmun introduced stories about women who are making their lives shine by contributing to the many different sectors of the people’s economy this year, stating, “There is happiness in life when working for the country.” According to the article, tens of thousands of women nationwide have entered various sectors of the people’s economy since the 5th National Mothers’ Conference held in December 2023.
In Pujon, a mother of triplets decided to contribute to the county’s waterworks office after attending the Mothers’ Conference. She felt “guilty and regretful” for just receiving the state’s benefits of weekly health check-ups for her triplets at the county hospital, which led her to make this decision.
A woman from Sunchon, who had previously faced legal punishment, decided to contribute to the mines after her son brought home new uniforms and school supplies from the state. The article also highlighted a woman who chose to support the raw material base business office in Kangso to repay the country’s kindness and a miner’s wife with five children who decided to help with the coal mine.
The article emphasized, “For the mothers of this country, who are experiencing the most fulfilling lives within the embrace of our grateful socialist motherland, the only path is to live proudly as socialist workers, embodying loyalty and patriotism.”
It also encouraged sacrifice for the country by saying, “Happiness gained by walking a path for oneself cannot go beyond oneself and one’s family. However, the respect and trust gained from the society and the group by walking a path for the country are endless.”
North Korea appears to be encouraging women to contribute to filling the labor shortage in various sectors due to economic difficulties. While they have been encouraging young people to contribute to difficult areas, the participation of women has been noticeably increasing this year.
Emphasizing the role of women in society in addition to their traditional roles such as home care and child-rearing seems to be aimed at encouraging patriotism and ultimately creating economic benefits for the state.
Recently, a Japanese media cited a source, reporting that 60% of female high school graduates in North Korea are joining the military. This is a nearly twofold increase from the past 30%, and it is speculated that this is due to a decrease in population and the difficulties in people’s living conditions.
