Focal Interest
Focal Interest
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Female missionaries linked to greater women’s political activism in colonial Korea

A group of people in traditional blue and brown Korean clothing stand in a courtyard in front of a traditional Korean building with curved roof tiles, bare trees with pink blossoms nearby, on a clear day.
Photo by sangrae cho on Unsplash · Unsplash License
Research area:Social SciencesAsian Studies and HistoryGender Studies

What the study found

Greater exposure to Protestant female missionaries was associated with more female political activism in colonial Korea.

Why the authors say this matters

The authors conclude that this provides the first systematic evidence linking Protestant missions to women’s political empowerment before women’s suffrage, and they say the effects persisted in female political representation after 1945.

What the researchers tested

The study used historical mission records and data on independence activists to examine whether exposure to female missionaries affected women’s political participation. The analysis included gender-specific ordinary least squares models, and missionary children were used as an instrumental variable, a statistical method meant to strengthen causal identification.

What worked and what didn't

Female missionary exposure strongly predicted women’s activism. The abstract says this relationship held for women but had no effect on men. The authors also report that the mechanisms involved female role models and informal networks, including Bible classes and home visits.

What to keep in mind

The abstract does not describe the full set of limitations. It also notes that the study’s evidence is based on colonial Korea and on historical records and activist data.

Key points

  • Greater exposure to Protestant female missionaries was associated with more female political activism in colonial Korea.
  • The association was reported for women, while the abstract says there was no effect on men.
  • The study used historical mission records, independence activist data, and missionary children as an instrumental variable.
  • The authors say the mechanisms included female role models and informal networks such as Bible classes and home visits.
  • The authors conclude the findings provide systematic evidence linking Protestant missions to women’s political empowerment before suffrage.

Disclosure

Research title:
Female missionaries linked to greater women’s political activism in colonial Korea
Publication date:
2026-03-30
DOI:
10.1017/ssh.2026.10121
OpenAlex record:
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Image credit:
Photo by sangrae cho on Unsplash · Unsplash License
AI provenance: AI provenance information is not available for this post.

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