President
"Under state law women are guaranteed the same rights as men and play a positive part in all social activities and in building up the nation."
In general, political rights are the most precious rights of women as masters of politics, and they can be secure only when they are guaranteed by law.
The political rights women should have include the rights to participate in state political life such as the exercise of sovereignty and state administration and the rights to free socio-political activities.
Korean socialism is the most advantageous system which legally guarantees all women the rights to take part in state political life just as men do.
First, it legally guarantees them the right to elect and to be elected on an equal footing with men.
The most important of the rights to participate in state political life is the right to elect and to be elected.
The DPRK's first law that granted women franchise like men and legally guaranteed it is the law on sex equality written by President
The law on sex equality promulgated on July 30 1946 is a law that emancipated women from feudal oppression and humiliation and guaranteed them equal rights with men in the political, economic and cultural life of the country. The law was of great significance in democratizing the country, achieving its democratic development and enabling women accounting for half of its population to conduct independent and creative activities as masters of the revolution and construction.
The law worked out and promulgated by the President provided a legal guarantee for women to exercise socio-political rights with dignity. This kind of law is the one and only law in the world.
It consists of nine articles and stipulates that women have equal rights with men in all fields of political, economic and cultural life and have the equal right to elect and to be elected to power organs at all levels.
Afterwards, the DPRK adopted such state laws as the Socialist Constitution of the DPRK and the Law of the DPRK on Providing Women's Rights to further consolidate by law their franchise, their basic political right.
Article 11 (Basic requirements in providing socio-political rights) of chapter 2 of the Law of the DPRK on Providing Women's Rights stipulates that women have equal rights with men in the field of socio-political life and no one shall restrict or encroach on the socio-political rights and position of women. Article 12 (Right to Elect and to Be Elected) specifies that women have the right to elect and to be elected on an equal footing with men, and the state shall let women actively participate in socio-political activities and increase the proportion of women deputies to people's assemblies at all levels.
This is a law which can be defined only in people-centred Korean socialism, a country respecting women.
The law also legally guarantees women the right to work in state organs and to be promoted as cadres like men.
Another important thing in the rights to take part in state political life is the right to work in state organs and to be promoted as cadres.
The DPRK legally defined that women can enter important state organs like men and exercise their rights with dignity.
Article 14 (Right to Work in State Organs) of the Law of the DPRK on Providing Women's Rights stipulates that women have the right to work in all state organs and that state organs shall actively admit women officials and provide them with adequate working and living conditions.
The state also specified by law women's right to be appointed as cadres.
Article 15 (Appointment of Women Cadres) of the Law of the DPRK on Providing Women's Rights stipulates that institutions, enterprises and organizations shall train and appoint women cadres in a planned way and that they should not discriminate against women in the selection, training and appointment of cadres.
By exercising the socio-political rights granted by law in their actual life, women of the DPRK can directly elect the deputies to the people's power organs at all levels and can be elected as representatives of the people to actually participate in discussions of state affairs.
Meanwhile, women lead political life through political organizations on an equal footing with men, i.e. political life as members of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Socialist Women's Union of Korea and other social organizations.
That the Korean women came to exercise their legitimate rights in socio-political life with dignity as seen above is unthinkable apart from the most advantageous socialist system guaranteeing their socio-political rights by law.
