Violence against women, SOS!

The Korean Foundation for Women, Korea’s first private public foundation dedicated to women, raises the SOS Fund (Save Our Safety) each year to help build a society where women and children can live safely and free from violence.

The fund supports women’s organizations across Korea that are working to prevent violence, support survivors, raise awareness, and advocate for legal and policy change. By backing these efforts, the Foundation helps this work reach deeper into local communities and create lasting change.

In previous years, the Foundation was typically able to support around two organizations each year. This year, however, growing public awareness of violence against women in Korea, along with generous giving through GlobalGiving and other fundraising platforms, made it possible to expand support to five organizations. We are pleased to share a few of the key projects that will be carried out in 2026.

• On university campuses, where anti-feminist sentiment remains present, one project will focus not only on dating violence but also on coercive control, which often emerges before physical abuse. Through surveys and awareness campaigns, the project will help students recognize early warning signs in intimate relationships and strengthen understanding of and responses to violence on campus.
• Educational programs will also be offered to elementary and middle school students, as well as their primary caregivers, on digital sexual violence and the hate and discrimination that are widespread online. A board game and promotional videos on gender equality and responding to digital sexual violence will be developed to help more people engage with these issues in an accessible and meaningful way.
• Another initiative will take place in churches under the theme “Building Equal and Safe Churches.” This work will include education on gender-equal organizational culture, the development of a response workbook tailored to church settings, and practical tools such as checklists and role-play activities. Through these efforts, the initiative seeks to prevent secondary harm to survivors and help lay the foundation for safer, more gender-equal communities.

In 2026, the Korean Foundation for Women will continue moving forward so that everyone can live in a safer and more equal society. We warmly invite your continued interest and support for the work ahead.