[Consumerwide - Jinil Kang Reporter / Yohan Bok Reporter]  March 8th is International Women's Day, which began as female labourers appealed for improvements to working conditions and civil rights through protests in the US. The UN officially designated the day as International Women's Day in 1978, and Korea in 2018. Many businesses initiate a variety of events celebrating the day; however, making an impact on a practical level at the workplace may be more urgent and valuable.

Volvo Car Korea domestic official dealer stores are initiating events to share the value of Swedish life style with female customers in March, celebrating International Women's Day. In particular, an art class (H Motors) that learns the Swedish lifestyle through the work of Carl Larsson, the Swedish national artist, a personal spa experiment in cooperation with the environmental beauty brand "Weleda (Kolon Automotive), and a flower class (Cheon Ha Auto) with singer Brian, who is popular for a neat lifestyle, are offered by different dealer companies. Besides, Kim Mikyung speech session (Better Me Everyday/Taeyoung Motors), pillow mist making class (Aju Autorium), colour theraphy perfume class (Ivy Motors), personal colour programme (Iron Motors), which gives participants time for healing along with inspiration for life, and special gifts from each dealer company and Swedish catering were offered.

Members of BAT Rothmans are donating female sanitation product boxes to single-parent families and female teens through Korea Welfare Services after making and taking photos of hand-heart, which emphasised diversity and embracement, and sharing them on the company platform, aiming to remind people of the meaning of International Women's Day in 2024.

KT is initiating female safety care customer service, which offers any indoor wireless quality enhancement service (upon request at the AS centre prior to visit) through a group of two (female and male engineering staff) in Gwangjusi, Daejeonsi, Seongnamsi (gyeonggi), Bucheonsi (gyeonggi), Seodaemungu (Seoul), and Songpagu (Seoul), primarily to resolve the inconvenience of single-female customers on March 8. Single-household families count 35% in Korea, and 50% of them are female households, according to an announcement by Statistics Korea in July 2023. KT plans to carry out the service on a full scale in July.

Hagendaiz is rewarding 20 million won per person for the final winners of the large global campaign "Rose Project" through the official homepage, aiming to highlight females of the world who bear the spirit of "Don't hold back" and practice them, and additionally, giveaway ice cream minicups to 50 people through a lucky draw for the comment tags of friends who take the challenge on the event page of Hagendaiz's official Instagram account in Korea. Last year, five people, Eunice Maia (Portugal) who makes a sustainable world through food, Jennifer Seifert (Mexico) who initiates for the protection of females and children, Karol Ivanna Aceves Flores (Mexico) who makes efforts for the right idea of gender in local society, Sarah Kandolo (South Africa) who brings new inspiration through telling female leaders on the African continent, and Yarett Piñeiro (Porto Rico) who acts out for equal opportunities and rights of people with hearing impairments, were awarded out of 2500 female participants globally through the campaign.

Jilgyungyi is offering max 72% dc and 1 type of gift worth max 0.1 million won (min 20,000 won) among massage equipment, health food, and perfume to customers who purchase the Jilgyungyi original special set (Luckybox). (An event is closed when it is out of stock.) on March 8, cheering for the healthy and happy lives of females.

Hellenstein is facilitating the "Dreaming Female, Hellenstein" campaign, which gives out matress and wool blankets through a lucky draw for customers who read three staff interviews on Brandmall and comment until the 15th, aiming to help women who enter society.

Female and male staffs of AXA Korea who have children have made an Apple (love+) box kit (sanitary pad, pouch, water tissue, warm pack, and handcream) at Dongbang Social Welfare Centre and passed them to low-income female teens and people with disabilities (100 people) through the centre on 6th, aiming for enhancement of embracement and ideas about gender.

KB Financial Group is offering finance for management (monthly payment and expenses for maintenance of the facility) worth 3.5 million won and consulting services to 150 female CEOs of small businesses that are having difficulties due to inflation and a high interest rate in cooperation with the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association on the 8th, based on research (current status of 2023 female owner businesses), which mentions one of the representative cases of female CEOs in small businesses are finances, management, and marketing, announced on February 27 by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

Hanhwa Life is passing on the Happy Plus Box (female sanitary and daily necessity products) to 100 female young adults proposed by Gyeonggido organisations dedicated to fighting poverty in cooperation with Korea Social Welfare Centre, on the condition that the participant staff (Hanhwa) of the Big Walk App campaign complete the target walk of "50 million steps."

KB is installing for two years 300 units of a 24-hour remote illegal filming sensing device that immediately sends the data to the control centre and call security staff in 15 spots of subways in Seoul, where there have been consistent users, and placing illegal photography prevention guide stickers in and out of these restrooms in cooperation with the Korean National Council of Women to create a safe restroom environment in subways in Korea.

Lotte Department Store is facilitating Rejoice Special Art Exhibition with Korean artists with variety of colors of works at Lotte Gallery Jamsil (6F), where exhibits 100 representative pieces of Park Youngsook (moon jar) till April 21, headquarter, where exhibits art work of Yoon Yejin, Seo Seungeun, and Moon Seonmi with a theme, "Female: courage and beauty beyond limit" till May 2, Dongtan, where exhibits pieces of Yoon Seohee (who expressed motherly and family love through cute animals such as Panda and Koala) and Artist Lily ('Be Happy & Smile) till April 21, Gwangbok, where exhibits Rejoice: Together exhibition of five artists, Kim Youngah, Kim Juhee, Jeongmi, Jo Eunah, Hwang Jiyoung, based on the message of love and forgiveness, Gwangju, exhibition of mom and daughter: Hwang Soonrae (with message of comfort and encouragement) and Tak Soyeon (Solid Routine), to demonstrate different life values aiming to encourage dreams and taking challenges of everyone. On 22nd, Lotte Cinema Worldtower is hosting Rejoice Female Speaker's session, which Lee Seulah and Choi Inah participate in, and the entire profit of the event is used to support mental health treatment for women in vulnerable conditions.

Dongsung Bio Pharm has donated organic sanitary pads (WOW products) and vitamins to female teens in vulnerable conditions through the Sungnae Welfare Centre.

According to research conducted by KCGI, there is still a significant gap between the salaries of male and female employees in domestic businesses when it comes to managing positions (CEO, 8.8%), working continuity, female workers' rates (27.7%), and salary (50% difference). Korea ranked 29th out of 29 members of the OECD (for over 12 years) in the Glass Ceiling Index in 2024, which is announced by the British weekly magazine Economist annually since 2013 based on the contribution rate of female workers in labour, high education and salary differences between female and male, labour participation rate of females, female rate in managing positions, childcare expenses, and female and male childcare leave status. Salary differences between females and males recorded 31.1% in Korea this year, which is the lowest since last year, and the female contribution rate in labour was 17.2% lower than the male rate (27th), and both the female rate in the managing position and CEO were 28th. Still, the contribution of Korean female workers isn't appreciated in the labour market with salary inequality and low social rights in Korea.