Gender Equality and COVID-19 in South Korea and Taiwan

• In Event: Public Opinion and Democratic Politics in South Korea and Beyond

Abstract

While COVID-19 has harmed people on a global scale, some preliminary studies have shown that women have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. In this light, this study asks two interrelated questions. At an individual level, how has the pandemic affected attitudes towards gender equality? At a national level, to what extent have COVID19-related policies been gendered? This study analyzes a representative sample of survey respondents and COVID-19 related policies in South Korea and Taiwan. Though both countries have handled the outbreak relatively successfully, we argue that the existing patriarchal structure in these countries has led men and women to have very different experiences during the pandemic. More specifically, we find that traditional attitudes on gender roles have increased and that women were more significantly affected by employment and childcare policies. Our findings indicate that government responses to the pandemic and increasing gendered attitudes will further widen the gender gap and have long term consequences for women beyond the pandemic.

Authors

• Hannah June Kim, University of Nebraska, Omaha

• Phoebe Woorim Moon, University of California, Irvine