History of women in Jeongmi

This is a history of women in Jeongmi. Reliable sources from prior to the 1950s are scarce, but the study of has since become a major scholarly and popular field, with many scholarly books and articles, museum exhibits, and courses in schools and universities.

Kim dynasty
The Kim dynasty was unique for being the only dynasty founded by a woman in Jeongmi's history, the Empress Taejo. Under her reign, advancements were made for the status of women, and nobles were encouraged to educate their daughters.

In 1263, Gim Su-yeon wrote The Tale of Heuksamdo, an early novel describing a society run by women on the island of Heuksamdo in North Jeongmi. Gim herself had never been to Heuksamdo, but several tales exist in Jeongmi regarding women and the island (how there are more women then men due to many men losing their lives at sea, as well as women having more power than on the mainland due to greater participation in daily life and work as the island is not well-suited for agriculture).

Unlike most stories written at the time, particularly by men, the novel is written entirely in Jeonggeul and in the Jeongmian language. There was heavy backlash against the book and most copies were eventually burned. It was believed that all copies of the novel were destroyed until the discovery of a copy in 1839 in an old private residence.

Republic of Jeongmi
The Republic of Jeongmi oversaw the continuation of rapid economic expansion for the nation. People began to move from the countryside to industrial urban centers, and many families would send their daughters to textile mills in order to supplement their incomes. Working conditions and pay were often poor, resulting in strikes and female workers forming the first female unions in the country.

Some women would enter the workforce on their own in order to achieve a degree of financial independence.

Early feminist thinkers criticized how many parents would send their daughters to mills in order to help pay for a son's education. In 1799, Choe Da-hye wrote "The Woman's Declaration," a work that argued for greater rights for women.

Middle class families
Industrialization brought about a huge increase to the numbers of the middle class, which in itself brought about large changes to the class.

Working class families
Working class women often worked as servants to middle and upper class families, in addition to having to perform the tasks which servants performed for wealthier classes.

Suffrage
Women had long been considered unfit for taking the various examinations present in Jeongmi, including the voting acquisition exam. Women had generally been considered as unfit for politics, and there were no serious movements toward female eligibility for the voting acquisition exam until the 1830s.

In 1899, women were allowed to take the voting acquisition exam. However, there was strong pressure among many women to not study for and take the exam. In 1917, suffrage was granted to all women above the age of 25.

In 2011, a study found that although 31.4% of men had obtained voting rights through the voting acquisition exam, only 24.7% of women had done so.

Eulhae War
The Eulhae War resulted in a shortage of labor in the industrial workforce throughout the duration of the war, and women were encouraged by the government to replace the men who had left to fight.

Women also played a significant role in the front - over 300,000 women served in the armed forces of Jeongmi during the period, although they were often prevented from entering combat. Women generally worked as nurses or operated anti-aircraft.

Women were also encouraged to grow their family's own food in home gardens.

Postwar era
In 1944, Jeong Da-jeong, a member of the Communist Party published The Other Sex.

Contemporary Jeongmi
Median annual pay for men is ~20.5% more than what women in Jeongmi make (women earn ~83% of what men do). Non-Sinju women make significantly less than both Sinju men and women.