Prominent Women’s Rights Advocate Swanee Hunt Visits Korea; “Marry a Man who Accepts Your Work”
by Moon Kyeong-ran, JoongAng Ilbo, November 30, 2005

Swanee Hunt, a Harvard University professor, who is highly renowned not only in the academic community but also in the political circle and on the global arena, is currently doing research on all kinds of gender equality barriers that keep women out of the job market. She recently stopped by in South Korea while traveling throughout 15 countries. While serving as U.S. Ambassador to Austria from 1993 to 1997, Professor Hunt extended her energy to the neighboring Balkan states, hosting negotiations and several international symposia to focus efforts on securing the peace as well as on preserving the environment and solving refugee problems.

“I went to visit Austria some time ago, when a former transportation minister there told me that he had been greatly impressed by the sight of my child crawling around the floor nearby the very moment some important bilateral pacts were being signed,” said Professor Hunt. She added that she had tried to handle her work and family harmoniously by allowing her children to attend official dinners held at the ambassadorial residence in pajamas.

As a U.S. Ambassador to Austria, she also hosted a large-scale international conference on the role of women in regions of conflict. Drawing upon this experience, she established an organization in 1997 called “Women Waging Peace” in Washington. Since then, she has invited 400 women from 40 regions of conflict and trained them into mediators for peace. Currently about 4,000 policy experts including former U.S. President Bill Clinton are actively engaged in the group.

In addition to teaching women’s-related policies at Harvard University’s Kennedy School, she is also dedicated to nurturing female leaders. As part of this ongoing effort, she is hosting a series of forums aimed at advancing women’s leadership by bringing groups of women leaders together from around the world.

“Men tend to promise to help women do their work in society, but when men get home, the first thing they ask is ‘Honey, is dinner ready?’” said Professor Hunt, advising women to marry men who will accept them for who they are. Professor Hunt is married to a founder and conductor of the Boston Landmark Orchestra and they have three children.