Women Shelter

The Friends of Asia will open a nursery and shelter for women migrant workers living in Paju, Goyang. With these facilities, we hope to assist women workers whose difficulties haven't been fully recognized yet. Friends of Asia met Lee Miyoung, who is in charge of our nursery and shelter project.

FOA: Could you tell us about how your project got started?

Lee: Personally, when I visited a woman migrant worker’s place, I was very moved to see how hard she managed to live with her baby. This occasion made me to realize the difficulties, which women workers live with. Especially as a mother myself, I thought, regardless of their nationality or skin color, living and growing up in a better environment is the basic rights of all children. This is how we started our nursery and shelter project, with much assistance and support from women residents here. Our main job will include the counseling service for foreign women who married Korean men, a nursery care for children of both non-Korean and Korean working women, and other services for women workers in general. Our nursery and shelter will be staffed by volunteer workers.

FOA: What do you think the difficulties of women migrant workers?

Lee: First of all, women migrant workers have more trouble in finding people to look after their children than Korean women workers, many of who still depend on their families for that. Sometimes, some women migrant workers take their young children to their workplaces-mainly factories- with them. The result is that the children are more likely to be exposed to the dangers at factories. Also, foreign women workers may find problems in nourishing their infants, due to the different food culture between Korea and their home countries. Lastly, many women migrant workers face a deteriorated living environment.

FOA: What are your plans for the Nursery and Shelter Project?

Lee: We are now doing a survey on the women migrant workers and their children, who will use our shelter and nursery center. Also, our fund-raising activity is still going on.