The district has held the designation since 2016, with recognition for policies spanning women's employment, safety and childcare
Lifestyle-focused initiatives range from building a women's job-support network to resident-led safety improvements
Seoul's Songpa-gu has been named a "Women-Friendly City" for 2026 by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, earning the designation for the third consecutive time since it was first granted in 2016.
The Women-Friendly City program designates local governments that promote balanced participation by women and men in regional policy and actively support women's social and economic activities, community safety and family caregiving.
Songpa-gu was first designated in 2016 and re-designated in 2021 before securing the title again this year. The latest recognition is particularly meaningful, officials said, as it reflects the cumulative results of policies tailored to the district's characteristics — spanning women's employment support, everyday safety and family-friendly initiatives.
This year's selection process covered 30 local governments nationwide. In Seoul, nine districts applied and five, including Songpa-gu, were selected.
To expand women's economic and social participation, the district operates the Women's Career Reconnection Center and has built a cooperative network among local employment-support agencies through a women's jobs council. In May, it held a mini job fair called "Da-Nae-Il" — a program offering personalized employment counseling and vocational training information — which logged 139 counseling and outreach interactions.
The district has also worked to improve the living environment for women in vulnerable situations. It maintains 15 designated safe-return routes for women across the district, conducts joint inspections with police and other agencies, and enlists a resident participation team to inspect community facilities and propose improvements. Resident feedback has led to tangible changes, including the installation of emergency call buttons in restrooms at the Women's Culture Center and improved lighting in restrooms at the Women's Career Reconnection Center.
Efforts to foster shared caregiving within families have also been a focus. The "Song PAPA Father's Classroom," designed to encourage fathers' involvement in parenting, saw 1,175 participants complete the program last year and 533 in the first half of this year. The district also runs an academy and growth-support program for grandparents raising grandchildren, and operates the Songpa Maternity Health Promotion Center — a public postpartum care facility — to ease the burden of childbirth and childcare.
The district has continued to expand opportunities for women to engage in community life. A lecture program called "Songpa-Changing Time" (Songbasi) invites graduates of women's leadership courses to share their experiences and ideas with residents; this year, 10 graduates gave talks to an audience of 160. The district also supports women in giving back to the community through a cultural volunteer corps at the Women's Culture Center.
"The third consecutive Women-Friendly City designation is the result of our consistent efforts to broaden women's participation in society and to pursue policies that touch residents' daily lives — from employment to safety to caregiving," District Mayor Seo Gang-seok said. "We will continue to listen to residents' voices and work to make Songpa a place where everyone can live with confidence and happiness."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
