Vice President Harris’s mission on her Japan-Korea trip was to bolster U.S. alliances. A more delicate goal was left unstated: burnishing her role on women’s rights.
But a more sensitive and politically charged goal was left largely unstated: burnishing Harris’s role on the potent issue of women’s rights, a sensitive mission in two male-dominated countries that lag starkly behind other developed nations on gender equity.
Japanese and South Korean societies are among the most male-dominated among the world’s leading economies. They consistently rank last and second-last, respectively, among industrialized democracies on gender parity in society, health care, pay equity and professional development. Observers often note the paltry support for women seeking careers past their early 30s, when they face social pressure to drop out of the workforce.
During his campaign, Yoon vowed to abolish the country’s Ministry for Gender Equality and courted so-called “anti-feminist” male activists for their support. He has said he does not believe systemic “structural discrimination based on gender” exists. South Korea’s record creates a particular culture clash with the Biden administration, whose Cabinet includes aAdvertisement
In July, Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen visited Tokyo and Seoul with a clear push for women’s professional and leadership advancement, making the case that economies are stronger when they allow women to enter, thrive and lead. “Even among the world’s most advanced economies, it is still far too uncommon for women to rise to the top,” a statement on her Twitter account read in part.
Later that day, in a speech on the USS Howard destroyer, Harris pledged to intensify “unofficial ties” with Taiwan, days after Biden said his administration would use military force to defend the island if China invades.
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