North Korea's paper emphasizes women's role in building socialist country

A woman poses for a photo by a waterfall atop Paektu Mountain, a volcano on the Chinese-North Korean border. TASS

North Korea's official newspaper on Tuesday emphasized the role of women in building a powerful socialist country as the communist state marked the 73rd anniversary of announcing a law on gender equality.

"Just as a cart cannot run on one wheel, we cannot build a socialist powerhouse only with the power of the men," the Rodong Sinmun said in an article, adding that women are an integral part of advancing the construction of a socialist country.

"We cannot think about the dignity and status that we are now demonstrating on the global stage without the role of the women," the paper added.

North Korea announced a gender equality law on July 30, 1946, mostly to guarantee women's right to vote, recognize their right to divorce and prevent forced marriage and prostitution.

Pyongyang has claimed the law has helped realize the complete equality between men and women in all areas of the country, including the economic field.

The North, however, is known to encourage women's participation in economic activities as they are apparently suffering from a labor force shortage.

Human rights groups have also reported that many North Korean women are facing threats of various types of violence, including sexual assaults. In May, a U.N. report recommended the North take action to help women facing such violence. (Yonhap)