Women’s groups cry foul over men-only police job posting

By Khanittha Thepphajorn 
The Nation

 

File photo

 

Three women’s rights groups are urging the Office of the Ombudsman to rule on the validity of a move by Royal Thai Police to accept only male applicants for investigator positions.

 

In the eyes of the advocates, the move is clearly sexual discrimination. 

 

The activists have cried foul after seeing an announcement on the force’s website that participants in its exam to fill the positions of investigators must be male and have successfully passed the bar exam. 

 

The announcement violates the Constitution and Gender Equality Act 2015, activists say.

The Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women, along with WeMove and Gender Politics Group, say that in addition to the Constitution, the move is a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

 

The groups will together submit a petition to the Office of the Ombudsman for its verdict and will also send a letter to the Royal Thai Police asking them to overturn the exam announcement.

 

 “Political parties as well as women’s rights supporters need to join hands,” said Ladawan Wongsriwong, former Labour Deputy Minister and a current member of the Pheu Thai Party.

 

“We must submit a letter to the Royal Thai Police asking the agency to nullify their announcement,” Ladawan said at an August 3 seminar about gender discrimination in the police workforce sponsored by the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women. She said if the police agency overlooked the issue, it must be taken to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha.

 

Asst Professor Ratchada Thanadirek agreed.

 

“The order was gender-biased and against the Constitution,” said the former Democrat Party MP. “The Office of the Ombudsman needs to oversee this order. It must set a standard for government agencies and private companies to forbid gender-discrimination in recruitment and employment.

 

 “Out of over 10,000 police officers in Thailand, only 400 are women,” she said. 

 

Ratchada also added that the low number, as well as the male-only requirement, showed the state agency’s lack of vision. In other countries such as Brazil and India, where women are often subject to domestic violence and sex crimes, police agencies try to introduce more female officers to police stations to fight these problems, she said. “In some problematic areas, the whole police station comprises only female policemen,” she said.

 

On the other hand, Bang Phlat Police Station’s superintendent Pol Lt-Colonel Petcharat Letvanich, said the police examination is usually open for both sexes. “We need more equality in shared responsibility, especially when it comes to sending officers to dangerous areas,” she said.

 

 “Some think setting quotas for male and female police officers is the solution, but I think it is a double-edged sword. We may get the right gender with the wrong qualifications and experiences,” said Tipawadee Meksawan, member of the National Legislative Committee tasked to draft the new National Police Act.

 

She said fighting for gender equality requires people to look beyond one’s gender – be it male or female –and look at their knowledge, expertise and experience.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30351404

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-08-04

There needs to be more women in the Police Force,especially

to handle cases like rape and others involving children,I think

they will do a better job,but would have to put up with a lot of

sexual harassment from male officers.i suspect

regards Worgeordie

They don't want to do anything until there's something they can't do, then they want to do it. 

12 minutes ago, berybert said:

They don't want to do anything until there's something they can't do, then they want to do it. 

You must have very slow internet, as I am sure you must have posted this in 40 years ago and it has just reached us now.

Edited August 4, 20187 yr by BigBadGeordie
Typo

There isn't a female anywhere in the Samui Archipelago, let alone one that could handle a rape or sexual assault victim to the same standard expected in the west. Given the volume of victims from the full moon party and its spin-offs I thought they'd have corrected this long ago. 

Go girls, you show em how it's done. The more girls everywhere, the merrier I say.

Ok with me,

I'm used to handing money over to the ladies in Thailand. 

Edited August 4, 20187 yr by stanleycoin

I frequently see jobs advertised as for women only. 

29 minutes ago, makecoldplayhistory said:

I frequently see jobs advertised as for women only. 

Trust me, you dont want to become a bargirl.

7 hours ago, worgeordie said:

There needs to be more women in the Police Force,especially

to handle cases like rape and others involving children,I think

they will do a better job,but would have to put up with a lot of

sexual harassment from male officers.i suspect

regards Worgeordie

I agree, back home the RCMP are facing this very thing in class action lawsuits and it's the same with correctional officers too. Women work harder than men in this country and it's possible they could do a much better job. True police reform has to come from the top down though and the cancer of corruption is stage four.

9 hours ago, rooster59 said:

 

 “Some think setting quotas for male and female police officers is the solution, but I think it is a double-edged sword. We may get the right gender with the wrong qualifications and experiences,” said Tipawadee Meksawan, member of the National Legislative Committee tasked to draft the new National Police Act.

Pure BS. 

Thai authorities are still very stuck in the early 20th century...somewhere around WW1 time. 

10 hours ago, rooster59 said:

In some problematic areas, the whole police station comprises only female policemen,” she said.

Err, policewomen.

10 hours ago, berybert said:

They don't want to do anything until there's something they can't do, then they want to do it. 

A bit like Muslims then.... 

9 hours ago, stanleycoin said:

Ok with me,

I'm used to handing money over to the ladies in Thailand. 

Have they all passed the bar exam?

23 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

Have they all passed the bar exam?

With flying colours, and all the wings. 

 “Out of over 10,000 police officers in Thailand, only 400 are women,” she said. 

 

It should read,  “Out of over 10,000 people wearing police uniforms in Thailand, only 400 are women,” she said. 

 

There is a difference between performance and appearance. From personalexperience in that profession, that gap is wide and murky.