North Korean men’s participation in mandatory community service projects has noticeably increased in recent years, a significant change that appears to show how the country’s long-standing patriarchal attitudes are starting to crumble amid worsening economic pressures.
“When neighborhood members are mobilized for community service, men used to make up just one-eighth of a given group, but now one of every four workers is a man. Just a few years ago, men felt sheepish about turning up for community service, but not anymore,” a source in Ryanggang province told Daily NK recently.
In the past, it was mostly housewives who showed up to do neighborhood repairs or clear away trash. Men tended to have a patriarchal mindset and refused to contribute when they were not at work.
But nowadays, male participation has increased so much that it is no longer considered odd for men to take part in neighborhood service projects, the source said.
From mockery to solidarity
When a neighborhood watch unit in the city of Hyesan asked families to help clear trash in mid-October, eight men were present on behalf of the unit’s 30 families. That was reportedly double the typical male participation rate in neighborhood service projects.
“In the past, you’d have four men at the most, but this time there were eight guys on the job. The project lasted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on a weekday, which meant they had all taken a day off work,” the source said.
The source said there is a growing tendency for men to use workplace leave to represent their families at community service projects and lessen the burden on their wives.
“Husbands’ mindsets seem to have softened since the pandemic. Men see their wives’ mental and physical exhaustion as the money they used to make from running marketplace booths dries up, and more men are rolling up their sleeves so they can help out,” the source explained.
In the past, husbands were quick to blame their wives for financial difficulties, often leading to quarrels and sometimes divorce. But as their wives’ market jobs get more difficult and financial burdens grow heavier, even formerly critical husbands have changed their attitude and started to pick up the slack.
Men’s increasing participation in neighborhood service projects shows that patriarchal attitudes and assumptions about gender roles are gradually changing as the financial situation continues to worsen.
“When men came out to a neighborhood work project, other men used to mock them for being ‘whipped’ or ‘a disgrace,’ but nowadays they casually remark that ‘we need to help our wives.’ If these changes persist, the mood at home will improve even if money remains tight,” the source said.
“Looking back over my life thus far, I can’t help remembering how often I’ve wronged my wife. When I saw her struggling, I used to tut-tut without bothering to ask what was wrong. Seeing how much my wife has aged amid her struggles makes me feel guilty,” the source quoted a Hyesan man in his fifties as saying.
“I’m ashamed of how I used to be so overbearing despite not contributing to the family finances. I figure that even if I can’t make any money, I can still help out with the housework or with service projects in the neighborhood,” the Hyesan man said.
