Caroline Norma

The University of Melbourne, Australia
Exchange to Seoul National University, Korea

How lucky I’ve been to live and study in Seoul with an Endeavour Award. With this chance, I’ve been able to volunteer with the Centre for Women’s Human Rights, study the Korean language, attend 2 conferences, and eat countless new foods – all flavoured with chilli of course. My time in picturesque Seoul traversed the seasons, and the women I met came from a range of backgrounds.

The most inspiring one massaged my feet. I attended a feminist workshop in Seoul with women who had been assisted in leaving the sex industry as a result of the social welfare programme introduced together with the 2004 South Korean Anti-prostitution Law. The women gave demonstrations of the sewing, craft, beauty, and sports massage skills they now used to get employment outside of the industry.

The woman who massaged my feet asked me about my research project on prostitution in Korea and Japan, and I asked her about her life since 2004. I was humbled to be able to talk to her, and felt so privileged to be allowed a glimpse of South Korean society at such an important time in the history of women in East Asia.

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