Open Forum on the Analysis on the Current Situation and Search for Alternatives – Woman Flight Attendant’s Appearance and Outfit from the Human Rights Perspective
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) held an open forum on 30 October 2012 from 14:00 to 16:00 at the Human Rights Education Center (10th floor) on the “Restrictions on Appearance and Outfit of a Woman Flight Attendant” in order to analyze the current situation and grope for alternatives from the human rights perspective.
The NHRCK received a petition in June 2012 claiming that the “A” Airlines compulsory advises women flight attendants to wear a skirt and hair in a bun and forbids eyeglasses, which constitues discrimination against women flight attendants without reasonable ground.
Against it, the “A” Airlines insists that it adopted only a skirt as woman flight attendant’s uniform in order to accent its image of elegant Korean traditional beauty. Also, it said regulations on the figure and outfit are vital tools for securing competitiveness of the company in this globalized era rather than restrictions on appearance.
In this context, the NHRCK held this forum for the in-depth review on the petition and would take presented opinions into accounts when deciding whether or not it is discrimination.
The NHRCK also takes note of the fact that many places such as department stores, banks, restaurants, information desk, and commercial promotion events put restrictions on the look of service providers as well as women crew members. The NHRCK expects this open debate will trigger a vibrant discussion on the regulations on the appearance and outfit of employees in the service industry from the human rights perspective in the society.
At the forum, Professor Jun-il Lee (School of Law of Korea University) presented his paper on the “Human Rights-violative Traits of Restrictions on the Appearance and Outfit against Women Flight Attendants”. The discussion panels included a Deputy Senior Researcher of the Korea Gender Policy Research Institute Mi-young Gu, Professor Sun-hee Sim from the Seoul City University, Director of the Brand 38 Research Institute Mun-kee Park, Professor Soon-won Kwon from the Economy and Commerce Department of the Sookmyung Women’s University, and Director of Gender Policy of the Ministry of Gender-Equality and Family Sung-ji Choi.
