Museum of Resistance and Resilience

Group TM: How Protesting for Women's Rights Developed into an Ewha Legacy

The Ewha Legacy has been the one of the first things I can think of when someone mentions women's rights these years, since I heard about the grand campus rally with slogans saying "My Life is not Your Porn" protest in 2018. Deeply moved by the young ladies' spirits, while I was researching I found that protesting for women's rights has been a vital part of the history of Ewha Womans University in South Korea. Since it was founded in the early 20th century, Ewha Womans University has been a cradle of female leaders. This image shown demonstrated what it was like for early Ewha Protests in the 1980s~1990s, and I'm specifically fascinated by the protest against the government claiming that their policy had been unconstitutional.

In 1994, Ewha professors and more than 2000 Ewha students petitioned to abolish the policy granting 20% more score to those who served in the army while taking Civil Service Examination (every male South Korean citizens without serious sickness or disability was required to serve in the army for about two years before they turn 30). This policy is basically clinging towards the male exam-takers, giving more opportunities for them to pass an examination than female ones. The Ewha community stood up and questioned the government and in 1998, 5 Ewha alumni appealed to the court and the unjust policy was eventually abolished in 1999.

Protests and rallies like this one happened, and will continue to happen in the following years to come. Through ages of taking the courage and speaking up for South Korean women, I consider the Ewha Legacy/Spirit one of best examples demonstrating resistance.

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