2000 Gender and Development in Thailand

Section B - Socio Economic Status of Women
Part 3 - Government policies on Women and Development

A. International and National Framework for Policies and Programs on Women's Development in Thailand

Policies on women and development in Thailand have been influenced both by international agreements and conventions and national legislation. Thailand honors the obligations its government has made under various international conventions, agreements, protocols and commitments. Among the most relevant are the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, International Labor Convention and CEDAW.

1. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and Its Impact on Thai Women

Thailand acceded to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1985, initially with seven reservations. Since then the Thai Government gradually dropped the number of reservations to CEDAW from seven to two with the following consequences:

• Women now have access to all government positions, whereas previously they were barred from certain positions such as district officers.
• Women now have an equal opportunity to enroll in all types of educational institutions, including all military academies;
• Children are no longer obliged to take their father's nationality, but may take their mother's;
• Ministry of Interior regulations now allow for equal pay for work of equal value by men and women;
• Women are now accorded a legal capacity identical to that of men in relation to administering their property.

The two remaining reservations are article 6 on marriage and family life and article 27 on settling of disputes by the international Court of Justice. Removal of the reservation on article 6 has to await an amendment to Thai family law to allow women the choice to retain their family names and to have access to similar grounds for divorce as their husbands. Article 27, however, will remain a reservation since Thailand maintains the right to sovereignty in all international conventions it has joined.

The Eighth Plan states explicitly that the Government commits itself to the implementation of both CEDAW and the Beijing Platform for Action. Whether those commitments remain on paper or are followed by appropriate amendments in existing national legislation and enforcement remains to be seen. The new constitution, which came into effect in October 1997 after the king's endorsement, guarantees equal rights for men and women as well as specifying that any discrimination on the basis of sex, is unconstitutional.

One of the main impacts of the first United Nations World Conference on Women in 1975 was the establishment of a national committee to prepare the first long-term Women's Development Plan, covering the period 1982-2004. The Long-term Women's Development Plan was incorporated into every national five-year plan, starting with the Fifth Plan in 1982. The Second Long-term Women's Development Plan is commonly known as The Perspectives Plan (1992-2011). It was used as the basis for preparation of short-term five-year Women's Development Plans to correspond with the five-year National Economic and Social Development Plans (the Seventh and Eighth Plans).

2. Five-year Women's Development Plan (1997 - 2001)

The current five-year Women's Development Plan has been adapted to correspond with two main policy documents, one national and the other international, that is, the Eighth Plan and the United Nations Beijing Platform for Action. During the Eighth Plan period (1997-2001), people centered developments is the key phrase. The Plan aims to develop the Thai people to their fullest extent, physically, mentally and intellectually. Everybody has a right and should have the opportunity to participate in every step of the country's development. The goal stated in the corresponding Five-year Women's Development Plan is to fully develop women's potential; to enable them to become valued human resources, to enjoy a high quality of life, and to participate in every aspect of the country's development. This goal is to be accomplished by eliminating all forms of discrimination against women, and providing protection according to their various needs, including elimination of exploitation and violence.

Main Objectives of the Women's Development Plans

The objectives of both the short and long-term plans can be summarized into three broad categories as follows:

• To enhance women's economic and political opportunities and choices so that they can fully develop their potential. Consequently, women will be equipped with the skills and abilities to adapt themselves to changing circumstances. Having become self-reliant, in time they will also become capable of supporting their own families and making a greater contribution to national economic and social progress;
• To encourage women to become more involved in all aspects of national development and at all levels of the decision-making process, and not be confined to their role in the family;
• To create a national environment that will be supportive of women's employment. Discrimination and inequalities will be gradually eliminated and new social attitudes that recognize women's contribution to economic progress will be developed.

3. Thailand's Constitution 1997

The 16th constitution of Thailand promulgated in 1997 was recognized as the first one to reflect people's interest through participation at various stages of the drafting.

Section 30 of the constitution specifies that men and women have equal rights, and unjust discrimination against a person on the grounds of sex is not permitted. Nongovernment organizations as well as women's organizations worked relentlessly throughout the constitution drafting process to ensure the provision for the promotion of human rights, gender equality and social justice. Their concerted efforts had the additional benefit of being a crash course on how NGOs can work harmoniously with institutional mechanisms.

B. Organizations Supporting the Implementation of Women's Development Plan

Having been approved by the cabinet, the five-year women's development plan is supposed to be mainstreamed into the policies and programs of all government agencies. Through both their support and monitoring activities, several organizations played an important part in ensuring the plan's effective implementation. Women's group have not only learned to appreciate the benefits of networking among themselves but they have also begun to recognize the potential of creating and making use of alliances with the National Commission on Women's Affairs. Representatives from NGOs now make up about one third of the 30 members of the Board.

This section discusses those major organizations on women's development - the national machinery, NGOs, international agencies, and academic institutions. Their addresses and contact persons are listed in section D.

1. National Commission on Women's Affairs (NCWA)

In 1989, the National Commission of Women's Affairs (NCWA) was established as the national machinery for promoting and coordinating efforts for the advancement of women. Its main responsibility is to advise the Government on women's issues, prepare policy statements and development plans for submission to the cabinet for approval, and make recommendations on legislation that may affect women's human rights and their basic freedoms.

NCWA's main functions include: submitting policies and master plans for the promotion of women's activities, role, and status to the Council of Ministers for approval; recommending guidelines for implementing plans and policies in accordance with the Five-year National Development Plan; and giving comments and recommendations to the Prime Minister on the need for new legislation, or revision and amendment of existing legislation.

• Major programs of NCWA are:
• Development of women's potential and quality of life;
• Promotion of women's legal equality, safety, protection, and welfare;
• Women's participation in social development;
• Development of solutions to the problems of commercial sex workers, and improvements in their conditions;
• Improvement of mechanisms for the advancement of women;
• Advocacy and dissemination of information on women;
• Research and data-gathering;
• Coordinating with UN and international organizations
• Cooperation with international women's organizations.

2. Non-Government Organizations

NGOs on women in Thailand are broad based, ranging from grassroots organizations to associations of people at the upper level of Thai society. Before the Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW) in 1995, they were oriented toward welfare or small income generating projects for women while policy and planning for women's development were left in the hands of the National Commission on Women's Affairs. The Beijing process brought a new dimension to the relationship. Women's groups made a leap from the short-term concerns of meeting women's practical needs to a more global outlook. They are now paying more attention to international developments that impact on women, such as the world trading system, regional economic cooperation, and international human rights issues.

Equally important, they have acquired more confidence and better tactics in approaching the government directly and specifying their demands. They have additionally become quite adept at seeking foreign funding and expertise, working with international organizations and networking both among themselves and with NGOs in other countries around the world.

Below is a selected list of NGOs whose specific goals are the advancement of women. Many others are not listed here and several more integrate gender concerns into their regular programs and activities, although they may not have explicitly included women and gender issues in their primary objectives.

2.1 National Council of Women of Thailand (NCWT)

NCWT is an umbrella organization for women NGOs whose network reaches all provinces of Thailand. Membership is still drawn mostly from the middle and upper classes of Thai society. This fact sometimes causes the Council to be unfairly criticized for not being in touch with the reality of women's lives, for avoiding controversial issues (such as prostitution) and for being more interested in high profile activities. Recently NCWT has made serious and quite successful attempts to reach out and work on a partnership basis with grassroots women's groups and NGOs, which is a major step away from its traditional welfare activities. The president of NCWT is appointed to the Board of NCWA as one of the two NGO representatives (the other is from Social Welfare Council). United Nations agencies consider NCWT as the UN's dialogue partner on the NGO side just as they do NCWA on the government side.

2.2 Foundation for Women

This is an NGO that focuses on advocating women's human rights and campaigning for public awareness of women's current problems, particularly domestic and sexual violence. The foundation assists women suffering from these problems by providing shelter and legal advice. Training is organized for volunteers who will protect, monitor, and help save children from sexual exploitation. It also gives scholarships to youth groups. The Foundation conducts campaigns to promote new values and an understanding of gender relations by encouraging young men to engage in a wide range of activities that will keep them occupied and thus hopefully turn their minds away from commercial sex.

2.3 Friends of Women Foundation (FOW)

The main objective of FOW, which was established in 1980, is to broaden the public's awareness of the unfair treatment of women, to coordinate efforts to improve the situation, and to assure women's status as equal members of the community. FOW concentrates on sexual crimes and harassment. It also runs a women's rights protection center, health center, women workers campaign section, a publishing house, gender analysis training, and income generating projects.

Two new projects have been initiated since 1994. The first brings Thai women together at the local level within the Grassroots Women's Network (GROWNET) project to carry out Beijing related and post Beijing activities, building the capacity of grassroots women's groups as well as advocating and campaigning on laws, measures, and mechanisms that will enhance the status of Thai women. The second is the Fund raising for Self-reliance project, which aims to raise long-term funds, generate income for rural women, and promote chemical free food and health services.

The Women's Unity Group is closely connected with FOW, and was formed in 1993 after the worst factory fire in Thailand's history that killed 188 workers, most of them women. The group consists mostly of women industrial workers in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area and its main objectives focus on occupational health and safety, job security, and welfare for workers.

2.4 Thai Women Watch (TW2)

Thai Women Watch was formed in 1996 specifically to monitor the Thai Government and NGOs' implementation of the United Nations Beijing Platform for Action. The founding members are women who went to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. TW2 consists of representatives of a wide range of NGOs as well as academics, thus making TW2 the newest women's network whose activities are closely linked to international bodies. It does not engage in action programs (such as income generating projects), but concentrates on monitoring and advocacy activities. The emphasis is on exchanging experience and information on successful advocacy strategies and mechanisms for promoting the advancement of women. TW2 cooperates closely with NCWT, NCWA, and United Nations agencies, and is the main link between Thai and international NGOs.

2.5 Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women

The Association was formed in 1974. The main target group is disadvantaged women and children. More recently, its mandate was extended to include women infected with HIV/AIDS, as well as Buddhist nuns. It also operates emergency homes, "women's education and training centers, and the Gender and Development Research Institute (GDRI). The main objectives of GDRI are integrating gender issues into government policies, and promoting women's role and participation in decision-making.

GDRI also acts as the secretariat of the Women in Politics Network, which monitors government policies and political parties on women's issues. Its current research and action revolve around discrimination in the labor market, and promoting democracy. It has also been very active in promoting women's role in politics. In 1994-1995, for example, with some support from UNIFEM, it took the lead in advocating women's rights in the Thai constitution by starting a postcard campaign to encourage members of parliament to vote for an article specifying that women and men are equal. GDRI also conducts training to prepare women for local and national elections, the latter program in cooperation with the Institute of Women and Politics, a recently established institute, which is fast becoming recognized in this field.

2.6 Women in Politics Institute

Women in Politics Institute (WIP) was established in 1995 as a working arm of the Women for Democratic Development Foundation (WDDF) to address the constraints facing women in the political arena. WIP aims to widen women's opportunities and provide support for effective participation in politics at all levels as voters, supporters and candidates. Activities of WIP include seminars to create political awareness and interest among women, as well as nationwide training workshops on campaign management, public speaking and similar skills for potential candidates and their staff. Most importantly, WIP has played a leading role in lobbying political parties to put more women forward as their executives and candidates.

3. Semi - government organizations

Researchers and academics, government agencies, and NGOs have gradually begun to appreciate the benefits of working together. The main activities that these groups can work well together on are seminars, training courses, and small research projects. As most foreign donors prefer supporting a network rather than an individual organization, such cooperation also helps when seeking financial support.

Women's development studies are conducted in at least 13 academic institutions in Thailand, in the form of women's studies programs, research, training, seminars, and development projects for women. Women's studies programs in the universities were mainly initiated by the collective and voluntary efforts of those academics that, interested in women's studies, took time off from their teaching and research schedules. After administrators recognized their efforts, the program's status was upgraded and granted some financial support. In addition, foreign organizations and universities provided technical and financial assistance.

Activities consist mainly of curriculum development, research, data collection, and academic services such as training, seminars and exhibitions. Most of these activities are broad rather than in-depth in nature and still lack coordination. In-depth research receives less interest from the public than non-formal education.

There is little coordination with government organizations and NGOs working on women's issues. The main activities that work well are seminars, training courses, and small research projects; they tend to be short-term, one-time activities rather than carried out on an ongoing basis.

4. Bilateral and International organizations

4.1 Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

CIDA is one of the most active international agencies in women's development in Thailand. It works closely with a broad range of partners, including government organizations, NGOs, and regional institutions. CIDA has helped to build the capacity to broaden public participation in development, improve access to the legal system, and advance the rights of women and children. Canada's official development assistance program places high priority on the participation of women as equal partners in the sustainable development of their societies.

The Canada Fund finances small, innovative, community based projects, which are sustainable and promote self-reliance. The Canadian Embassy, which administers the fund, considers projects from a wide variety of sectors but gives priority to those that focus on women, the environment, and human rights. The importance that CIDA places on women's participation is clearly indicated by the requirement that all project proposals must specify whether they consider benefits to women, either directly or indirectly, and what the roles of women are in the project (project designer, manager, administrator, etc.).

CIDA has played a key role in supporting Thai and other Southeast Asian women in the preparations for and participation in the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. The Southeast Asian Gender Equity Program (SEAGEP) extends CIDA's assistance beyond Beijing at a regional level. Its purpose is to strengthen the capacity of Southeast Asian women's organizations, governments, networks, and institutions to implement the Beijing Platform for Action. A SEAGEP fund has been established to support activities that assist in the implementation of the Beijing Platform, as well as address common issues of gender equity for women in Southeast Asia.

Main issues addressed in SEAGEP programs include: women's rights; human resource development; women's appropriate integration in the economy; personal security; health; power and decision-making; and globalization and its impact on women.

4.2 Canada-Thailand Women's Initiatives Fund (WIF)

Canada has recently established the Canada-Thailand Women's Initiatives Fund (WIF) in partnership with the Department of Technical and Economic Cooperation (DTEC). Its main goal is to contribute to strengthened roles and increased participation of Thai women in political and economic decision-making at local and regional levels. WIF's objectives include: strengthening the capacity of Thai public and private sector institutions to heighten equity awareness; planning and delivering programs that benefit Thai women; and improving Thai women's political, entrepreneurial and managerial skills.

4.3 Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)

As part of the Australia-Thailand development cooperation program, AusAID administers a Small Activities Scheme (SAS). The scheme is intended as a quick disbursing mechanism for funding relatively small but effective development activities at minimal administrative cost. It is managed by the Technical and Economic Cooperation Section of the Australian Embassy in Bangkok.

SAS activities are normally short term, completed within one financial year. The Australian aid program to Thailand focuses on health, especially HIV/AIDS, the environment, and poverty alleviation. Special consideration is given to proposals targeting women and human rights.

4.4 United Nations Agencies Based in Bangkok

In addition to having their own gender focal points, various United Nations agencies joined together in late 1995 to form the Gender and Women's Development Working Group (GWAD). The aim is to facilitate the collaboration of the United Nations system in pursuing areas of common interest, the exchange of information and cooperation and complementarily in program development and implementation. Founding members of the working group consist of representatives from UNIFEM, UNICEF, UNIDO, FAO, UNFPA, and UN-ESCAP and additional members are appointed from ILO, UNDP, UNDCP, UNHCR, and WHO.

GWAD facilitates collaboration, coordination, and information exchanges among United Nations agencies in order to mainstream gender issues and support the advancement of women in Thailand. It coordinates United Nations activities to support the Thai Government and NGOs in their implementation of the United Nations Platform of Action for the Advancement of Women resulting from the Fourth World Conference on Women (the Beijing Plan) and the Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women in the Asia-Pacific Region (the Jakarta Plan). It generally supports campaigns that promote women and gender issues in Thailand.