The Incheon Metropolitan Government (Mayor Park Chan-dae) held a ceremony at the Arts Center Incheon on September 3 to mark 2026 Gender Equality Week (September 1-7), with some 350 citizens and guests in attendance. The event was organized to spread a culture of gender equality across society and to broaden a city-wide sense of shared understanding.
 [코리안투데이] The 2026 Incheon Metropolitan City Gender Equality Week ceremony © 장형임 기자 |
Under the slogan ‘Gender Equality Together, Incheon’s Overwhelming Growth and Change,’ the city built its program around the ceremony and a cultural performance designed to resonate with citizens. The event opened with a string quartet performance by the Incheon Women and Family Foundation Orchestra.
The ceremony featured a series of commendations for those who have contributed to advancing gender equality. Three people received the Gender Equality Award, 39 citizens were recognized for promoting gender equality, and six were honored for advancing women’s employment. Ganghwa-gun and Bupyeong-gu were named districts with outstanding gender equality policies, while Hwang Dong-geon of Yeongjong-gu was recognized as a distinguished public official. In addition, certificates were presented to seven companies that have fostered work-family balance and women-friendly workplaces, and awards were given to winners of the ‘Gender Equality Acrostic Poem Contest.’
Participants in the ‘A Promise of Equality Made with Light’ performance included Mayor Park Chan-dae and the chair of the City Council, along with representatives from all walks of life such as senior citizens, business leaders, young people and children. They pledged to work toward a gender-equal city that is safe and free of discrimination, while citizens in attendance raised handheld placards reading ‘Gender Equality Together, Incheon’s Overwhelming Change.’
A post-ceremony program featured a cultural performance by guest singer Park Seung-hwa of the group Yurisangja. In the venue lobby, a hands-on ‘Growing a Tree of Gender Equality Pledges’ program, an exhibition of winning acrostic poems, and a display on women figures in history were set up so that citizens could engage closely with the values of gender equality.
Mayor Park Chan-dae noted that ‘our society has changed a great deal, but gaps that hinder gender equality still remain, such as wage disparities and career interruptions based on gender,’ stressing that beyond equality in law and institutions, real change that citizens can feel in their daily lives is needed. He went on to say, ‘Incheon will become a city that narrows gender-based gaps and shares responsibility for caregiving.’
What stood out about this ceremony was that it went beyond commendations and declarations, placing alongside them hands-on activities and performances in which citizens took part directly, so that gender equality could be experienced not as a policy achievement but as an everyday task. The city said it will continue to pursue tangible change that citizens can feel, including closing the wage gap, addressing career interruptions, and strengthening the social responsibility of caregiving.
지역 홍보대사 신청 기자양성과정 신청 코리안투데이 지부장 신청 코리안투데이 인천강화코리안브랜드대상 신청 최고경영인대상 신청 소비자만족도대상 신청
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