Feminists in Democratization: A Comparison of Three Asian Countries

Abstract

Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan are three Asian countries that share historical connections and similar cultural contexts but have demonstrated different levels of achievement in gender equality. South Korea and Taiwan were once under Japanese colonization and experienced radical democratic transitions in the 1970s and 1980s. Both countries witnessed the rise of their women’s movements during their democratic transitions. On the other hand, Japan became a democratic country after receiving a new constitution by the U.S. following its defeat in World War II. Japan experienced its women’s movement earlier than South Korea and Taiwan because it did not undergo the political turmoil associated with the democratic transitions. However, in 2023, Japan had a lower ranking than South Korea and Taiwan on the Gender Inequality Index. Therefore, this research examines the relationship between democratic transition and women’s movements in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan after World War II to understand whether the interaction between democratization and women’s movements influences progress on gender equality. Various theories and assumptions have been developed to explain why women’s movements can achieve better progress in some newly democratized countries while others struggle. However, previous research may not fully explain the cases of these three Asian countries due to cultural and political differences. With a careful examination of the democratization and women’s movements in these three countries, we find that they heavily rely on the political power, networks, and strategies that feminist activists and women’s groups acquired during the democratization process. Feminist activists in South Korea and Taiwan acquired political power, built networks, and developed strategies during their countries’ democratic transitions, which helped them engage with the government in a new political environment after democratization. On the other hand, feminist activists and women’s groups in Japan developed fewer resources and strategies to advance the women’s movement since Japan did not undergo a radical democratic transition.