GCU 114

Status of Women in Thailand

The status of women in Thailand today is still currently a work in progress. In comparison to what it was decades ago there has obviously been notable improvement, yet there is still a lot that can and should be done. Women are still not accepted equally in Thai society and are often viewed as less valuable than men. When compared to other countries around the world, Thailand is falling behind in regard to gender equality, and since it is emphasized by the UN that gender equality is a sign of national well being this should be a major concern for not only the women of Thailand but the men too. Overall, Thailand was ranked 103rd place in the 2011 Human Development Index, with a score of 0.682, and 69th (out of 146 countries) under the 2011 Gender Inequality Index with a score of 0.382 (United Nations Development Programme). Though legally it appears Thailand is making a step in the right direction, their issues with trafficking, domestic violence, prostitution, etc aren't decreasing. And these are just the more drastic issues, the gender gap is apparent in most women's day to day life as well, in relation to marriage, family life, religion, economics, job opportunity, and society. In the last few decades Thailand has passed many important laws to alleviate the gender discrimination issues, yet the rate at which the gender gap decreases is barely big enough for some Thai women to even notice. Many of the most apparent gender inequalities in Thailand lie within the societal norms of a Thai marriage. Thai women are supposed to be a certain way, say certain things (or lack thereof), and do certain things. It has been taught as part of their culture since ancient times. Many men from other countries even flock to Asian countries to marry these women who are subservient and selfless. Even though Thai women are now granted the right to pick their husband, they are still expected to put their duties as a wife above all else. And surprisingly, a Thai woman cannot file for divorce like a man can. It is becoming more common for women to be seen in fields that used to be predominately

men, like science and engineering, but at the end of the day Thai women are considered wives before they are considered professionals, regardless of their career. Generally speaking, men specialize in Buddhist monastic roles and political-bureaucratic occupations while women specialize in economicentrepreneurial activities, or career paths that are less time consuming and allow them to spend a majority of their time at home. Because women are expected to commit so much time at home, those who choose demanding career paths struggle to do both, and are often forced to reconsider their job choice in the end. There are also still many careers that are limited only to men, like serving in the Thai army or on the police force. Regardless, women make up a huge part of the workforce and have contributed to the economy substantially. This chart shows the number of men and women in the workforce in millions.

Thailand's government system doesn't allow for non-governmental agencies to have much say in the change of legislation, and the government is largely dominated by men who lack the drive to make the changes that women want to see. This makes it extremely difficult for legislation to get passed in regards to women's rights. This chart shows the percentage of men and women in political decision making bodies in Thailand. It is obvious women do not make up a large percentage of the government, though the percentage has increased over time.

Men and Women in Political Decision Making Bodies

An index prepared annually by the organization Social Watch called the Gender Equity Index (GEI), referenced earlier, measures the gap in countries around the world in three different specific areas, education, empowerment, and economic activity. A high score of 100 means a country offers equal access to girls in boys in say for example, education. But this does not mean the quality of said education is necessarily the same. In the most recent Gender Equity Index, Thailand scores improved drastically in the education section scoring themselves a 97/100 which qualifies as acceptable by Social Watch. On the other hand, Thailand's scores for the other two sections were not as impressive, a 39 and 57 respectively which are considered very low and low. The Usa Lerdsrisuntad Foundation for Women has declared that the GEI really reflects the situation of Thai women, since many are at risk of being trafficked or exploited from migration, suffer from gender based violence and are vulnerable to HIV infection and unwanted pregnancy. This is the result of little intervention from the Government in the economic and social empowerment of women. (Social Watch). Though the typical gender stereotypes of men and women in Thai society have lessened in

comparison to many years ago, they are still very apparent in Thailand today. It will be many years before Thailand is where they should be in comparison to other countries around the world.

Work Cited

Kirsch, A. T. (1985) Buddhist sex roles/culture of gender revisited. American Ethnologist, 12: 302320 doi:10.1525/ae.1985.12.2.02a00070 Phu, Sunthon. (1986). Suphasit Son Ying (Exhortations to Women). Sarutta. (n.d.). Womens Status in Thai Society. Retrieved from http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/thai_article/1911_thai_women_status/thai_women_status.html Social Watch (2012). Thailands gender equality is superior to its neighbours, says watchdog organization. United Nations Development Programme (2011). Human Development Report 2011, Retrieved from http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2011_EN_Complete.pdf