61 relation between the dominant and the dominated which is reproduced less through paternal authority in form of responsibilities, but rather through ruling over and exploiting women and other vulnerable groups, i.e. through the latter’s suffering. Hence, the economic crisis in North Korea can also be seen as a momentum which further aggravates inequality with regard to gender roles and labour division between men and women within the family and society. 3. Case analysis of North Korean women’s human rights situation 1) The hidden side of equality and rights: mobilization and exploitation When we consider the currently existing laws and institutions relating to women in North Korea, North Korean women can be said to enjoy equal civil and political rights to their male counterparts. However, a huge discrepancy exists between these laws and institutions and the life of women. In fact, when we take a closer look at the historical development of legal and institutional guarantees of equality, we can assert that they have been prompted more by economic and political reasons rather than being characterized by measures to secure genuine equality. In the 1950s-1960s, i.e. in the process of rebuilding the country and establishing a socialist economy in the post-war years, North Korea suffered from a labour force shortage and introduced various legal and social measures to draw women into the economical arena. These measures seemingly acknowledged women’s work capacities and promised women’s participation in society on equal terms with men, but in reality they rather aimed at accelerating their enforced introduction to the economy by activating and mobilizing women’s labour power. Although the state implemented measures to support child rearing and childcare, women were, in fact, incessantly confronted with multiple responsibilities: occupational work, social mobilization, and domestic work.