In North Korea, International Women’s Day on Mar. 8. is celebrated with great fanfare, according to the state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun. “Love and affection for our women, flowers of the nation, society, and home, is growing stronger by the day,” Rodong Sinmun reported on Mar. 7.
But the reality for North Korean women, as detailed in a report by Daily NK based on interviews with 30 North Korean women from diverse regions and age groups, presents a stark contrast to this rosy narrative. The women who currently live in North Korea spoke of financial burdens related to raising a family and the pressure to conform to state policies. Choosing not to have children is considered “reactionary.” Testimonies of ten North Korean defectors interviewed by Daily NK echoed these sentiments.
“An increasing number of women do not want children,” said one woman from South Pyongan Province. Another woman from North Hwanghae Province mentioned educational expenses, stating, “Sending our children to kindergarten or school is a burden because of all the expenses.”
North Korean authorities are implementing various measures, often coercive, to tackle low birthrates. “I was told at a People’s Party meeting that if a woman gets an abortion, [the authorities] will punish the doctors that performed the abortion,” said a woman in North Pyongan Province. Two women from Jagang Province shared that while choosing not to have a second child after the first is acceptable, not giving birth at all is viewed as reactionary by the authorities.
Even childbirth comes with hidden costs. Following the collapse of free healthcare, testimonies of having to pay bribes have surfaced. One woman said she spent 200,000 won in bribes to deliver her daughter at a hospital. A woman in North Pyongan Province recounted a case where a patient died because she could not afford a bribe and missed the surgery.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, a woman from Gangwon Province shared her struggle to procure medicine to overcome the virus. A woman in Jagang Province said she also had to pay for thermometers, medicine, and even injections.
“Building better childcare conditions is a top priority for the nation, regardless of the expense,” North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared in 2021. North Korean women say childcare facilities have since improved. “More daycare centers and kindergartens have added more playground equipment in their playgrounds,” said a woman from North Pyongan Province.
But the burden of maintenance falls on the parents. “We pay for [the kindergarten’s] food, clothing, bedding, and other necessities,” a mother from Hwanghae Province said. “If they can’t afford rice, they don’t give our children lunch or snacks.” A North Korean defector said, “Parents cover all kindergarten expenses, from meals to heating, cooking essentials, and even firewood.”
Many North Korean women have resorted to selling goods at markets to address financial challenges. While the women interviewed typically earned between 1,500 and 2,600 won per month from their day jobs, 12 out of 30 said they earned between 300,000 and 500,000 won extra per month from selling goods at the market. All 12 of these women noted that their husbands had no income.
In addition, North Korean women are required to make monetary and material contributions to the state every month and quarter, on holidays and anniversaries. A woman from North Hwanghae mentioned she gathered items such as notebooks, books, and various tools to celebrate a satellite launch last November. Unemployed women are enlisted for various communal duties, including rice planting.
