Third Annual Single Moms’ Day Held

Adoption Justice explains that this event is about  “Accountability for the Past, Rights for the Future.”

“Single Moms’ Day is an event that was dreamed up by TRACK in 2011 to challenge the government’s Adoption Day. We were inspired by the First Nations people in the U.S. who celebrate “Native American Day” on Thanksgiving in order to challenge the dominant narrative and draw people’s attention toward a different center of gravity.

Since we started three years ago, we have gained more support from Korean society and have used the annual event to inform people inside and outside Korea about the factors that pressure unwed mothers to relinquish their children for adoption.

Push factors include fathers’ child support obligations being unenforced; lack of adequate social welfare from the Korean government; social discrimination against unwed mothers and their children.

Pull factors include the fact that more than half of unwed mothers in facilities are living in unwed mothers’ shelters that are owned and operated by adoption agencies; a money-driven international adoption system that does not conform to the UN CRC or the Hague Convention, i.e., it does not respect children’s humans rights.

This year, we will have a two-day event because Adoption Day will land on a Saturday. On that weekend, we will highlight the organization Dandelions. They are an organization of adoptees’ families of origin, meaning parents, siblings, and aunts, uncles, and other relatives of adopted people are welcome to join.

In solidarity with Dandelions and TRACK, the following organizations are working to organize the event this year: Korean Unwed Mothers and Families Association (KUMFA), KoRoot, Korean Unwed Mothers Support Network (KUMSN), Korean Single Parent Alliance, Seoul Single Parent Alliance, Incheon Womenlink, and the Korean Center for United Nations Human Rights Policy.”

 

REFORM Puzzle Piece