Korean Women’s Institute and Ewha Institute for Political Studies Host Lecture by Former Swedish Deputy Prime Minister M N
- 작성처
- Date2026.10.06
- 273
Lecture on “Women Building Peace” explores women’s leadership and the future of democracy and peace
“Women already have a voice. It is simply not being heard.”
The Korean Women’s Institute (Director Lee EunAh) and the Ewha Institute for Political Studies (Director Koh MinHee) hosted a lecture by Margot Elisabeth Wallström, former Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden, on Tuesday, September 29, at the Lecture Hall of the Graduate School Building on campus. The lecture was titled “How Can Women’s Leadership Change the World in an Era of Conflict? Women Building Peace.” Co-hosted with the Lee TaeSeok Foundation and the Lee TaeSeok Leadership Academy, the event was attended by approximately 100 Ewha students, as well as Koo SooHwan, Chairman of the Lee TaeSeok Foundation, and Chang PilHwa, Chairperson of the Korea Foundation for Women.
Elected to the Swedish Parliament at the age of 25, Wallström went on to hold key positions in the Swedish government and the European Union. She served as the first UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict from 2010 to 2012 and as Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2014 to 2019. She also drew international attention for advancing the world’s first feminist foreign policy. Drawing on her extensive experience in international politics through the Swedish government, the EU, and the UN, the lecture explored the meaning and role of women’s leadership in an era of conflict, focusing on democracy, human rights, women, peace and security, and feminist foreign policy.
(From left) Koh MinHee, Director of the Ewha Institute for Political Studies; Lee Eun-ah, Director of the Korean Women’s Institute; and Koo JinSeong, Representative of the Lee TaeSeok Leadership Academy
The lecture opened with Koh MinHee, Director of the Ewha Institute for Political Studies, serving as moderator. Lee EunAh, Director of the Korean Women’s Institute, and Koo JinSeong, Representative of the Lee TaeSeok Leadership Academy, delivered welcoming remarks. Wallström began by recounting how she grew up in a working-class family in northern Sweden and entered politics through a local youth movement. Reflecting on her experiences with a male-dominated political culture as a young female member of parliament, she defined feminism as “the idea that women and men should have the same rights, responsibilities, and opportunities in society.” She emphasized that gender equality is a crucial foundation for democracy and social progress.
She then addressed the global democratic backsliding driven by factors such as inequality, social polarization, and declining public trust in institutions. She stressed that citizen participation, institutional safeguards, and international solidarity are essential to protecting democracy. She also explained that democracy provides an important foundation for women to organize themselves, make their voices heard, and demand equal rights.
She then addressed the global democratic backsliding driven by factors such as inequality, social polarization, and declining public trust in institutions. She stressed that citizen participation, institutional safeguards, and international solidarity are essential to protecting democracy. She also explained that democracy provides an important foundation for women to organize themselves, make their voices heard, and demand equal rights.
A question-and-answer session followed, moderated by Koh. Wallström and the students exchanged views on a range of topics, including how to balance empathy and justice in diplomacy, the characteristics of women’s leadership, her experiences and the obstacles she encountered in advancing feminist foreign policy, and South Korea’s role in the international community.
At the end of the lecture, Wallström offered advice to students who will shape the future: look beyond their own interests to engage with society and the world, seek to understand other people’s lives and perspectives through literature and reading, and use their values as a guide for living. In particular, she urged them to “Let your values be your backbone,” emphasizing the importance of having a “moral compass” to distinguish right from wrong and of taking action even in the face of fear.
The lecture was organized as part of the “Gender and Democracy” project under the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Institute Support Program funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea and currently conducted by the Korean Women’s Institute. It was sponsored by Jungheon Pharmaceutical and the SSK (Social Science Korea) Anti-Politics Research Group. The event provided an opportunity to examine the significance of women’s experiences and participation for democracy and sustainable peace in an international community beset by ongoing conflicts. It concluded with a meaningful discussion with Ewha students, the next generation of leaders, on the potential of women’s leadership to foster peace and cooperation.