본 연구는 한국의 인구정책과 여성정책을 살펴보고 저출산 현상에 대처하기 위해서는 두 정책이 서로 연계되어야 하며 성평등적 여성정책이 전제되어야 함을 주장하고 있다. 한국은 그동안 인구정책과 여성정책이 서로 괴리되어 진행됨으로써 현재의 저출산 문제가 초래되었다고 볼 수 있다. 인구정책과 여성정책이 시간적 격차를 가지고 전개된 결과, 두 정책간의 연계가 어려웠고, 상호보완적 관계를 형성할 수 없었기 때문이다. 인구정책은 미시적ㆍ기술적인 출산조절을 강조하였을 뿐이고, 여성정책 또한 모성의 문제에 적극적으로 접근하지 못했다. 최근의 인구정책은 출산장려를 추진하는 과정에서 여성정책과 결합되고 있으나, 성평등정책보다 출산 및 보육 지원 대책, 특히 취업여성의 일-가정 양립 지원정책이 주로 추구되고 있다. 그러나 저출산 극복을 위한 인구정책은 여성의 보편적 권리와 지위를 향상시키는 여성정책과 연계되어야 하며 성평등적 여성정책의 실현이 전제되어야 한다. 따라서 임신과 출산, 양육의 직접적 수행자인 여성의 다양한 문제의 반영은 젠더 관점에 기반한 인구정책과 여성정책의 종합적인 연계에서만 가능하다.

This article examines population policy and women’s policy since the 1960s and argues that pronatalist population policy and gender equality policy need to be complemented to change current low fertility problem, 1.08 babies in 2005, in S. Korea. S. Korean government is alarmed by population decline prospect in the near future with a acute ageing of the population. In fact, S. Korean government practiced strong birth control policy during the 1960s and 1970s to manage population growth while women’s policy to advance women’s rights and status had not been developed successfully during this period. Demographic changes have been a major force in bringing population and family issues on to the political agenda. The decline in fertility and the entry of women into the labour force have reduced the relevance of system aimed at traditional family. S. Korean government’s attitude towards and intervention in family policy has been changed considerably and the government has been introducing many family-friendly policies in response to decline in fertility such as child care facilities, parental leave and child allowances. By examining and criticizing these policies the authors argue that population policy as well as family policy must have gender perspective and family and population policies need to be organized focused on gender equality to change fertility decline.

This article examines population policy and women’s policy since the 1960s and argues that pronatalist population policy and gender equality policy need to be complemented to change current low fertility problem, 1.08 babies in 2005, in S. Korea. S. Korean government is alarmed by population decline prospect in the near future with a acute ageing of the population. In fact, S. Korean government practiced strong birth control policy during the 1960s and 1970s to manage population growth while women’s policy to advance women’s rights and status had not been developed successfully during this period. Demographic changes have been a major force in bringing population and family issues on to the political agenda. The decline in fertility and the entry of women into the labour force have reduced the relevance of system aimed at traditional family. S. Korean government’s attitude towards and intervention in family policy has been changed considerably and the government has been introducing many family-friendly policies in response to decline in fertility such as child care facilities, parental leave and child allowances. By examining and criticizing these policies the authors argue that population policy as well as family policy must have gender perspective and family and population policies need to be organized focused on gender equality to change fertility decline.

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Population Policy, Women’s Policy, Gender Equality, Birth Control Policy, Pronatalist Policy, Maternity Protection, Low Fertility