The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) recommended “A” Agricultural Cooperative to remove different payment standards of the condolences financial support between its married male and female members.
Ms. Park (age 60) submitted a complaint to the NHRCK in March 2011, alleging that “A” Agricultural Cooperative refused to pay the condolences financial support for her own mother’s death due to different payment standards based on the sex of member. Married male members of the agricultural cooperative were entitled to the financial support on the death of their own parents while married female members were entitled to the support only on the death of their parents-in-laws due to the different payment standards.
The agricultural cooperative responded that the condolences financial support is paid 200,000 KRW equally to married male and female members as a form of welfare for the death of its members’ close family.
However, married female members have equal responsibility and duty for their parents, and excluding married daughters from their original family is based on the misperception of gender roles that women are no longer belong to their family after the marriage.
The NHRCK concluded after investigation that the different payment standard of the condolences financial support is discriminatory against married female members. Thus, the NHRCK recommended “A” agricultural cooperatives to adopt equal payment standards of condolences financial support for its male and female members.
