Leadership Academy For Muslim Women

[Lite Beer]

Leadership Academy for Muslim Women

The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- Women in the South will get a major political boost on Tuesday when Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra presides over the national launch of a Leadership Academy for Muslim Women at Government House.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Social Development and Human Security Ministry will officially launch the innovative new programme at 2pm, with a joint partnership signing.

Of the roughly 7,000 political positions in villages and towns across Thailand, women hold just 4 per cent. In Parliament, women make up just 16 per cent of members, although they represent more than half of Thailand's population. And there is only one Muslim woman member of Parliament in Thailand.

Women hold just a small percentage of executive positions in local, village and sub-district (or tambon) administrations.

In 2007, women accounted for just 11 per cent of the membership of Tambon Administrative Organisations, Provincial Administrative Organisation/ Tambon Administrative Organisation councils, and municipal councils.

The proportion was the lowest in the South, which has the smallest share of female Members of Parliament - and the smallest percentage of party-list MPs, at 13 per cent.

"Empowering women empowers all of Thailand. The United Nations is proud to work with the Royal Thai Government on a programme that reaches out to women in the South, who already have the drive and the ambition," said Luc Stevens, UN resident coordinator and UNDP resident representative in Thailand.

"All they need is the opportunity. This programme will give them exactly that," Stevens said.

The Academy Programme will train Muslim women in the South through two distinct training programmes.

The first will equip women with skills to participate and take leading roles in community-development activities.

The second will further develop skills for women who want to pursue political ambitions and will focus more intensively on skills for political participation.

"In order to provide opportunities for women, we need to develop them to their full potential and strive for equality between women and men," said Social Development and Human Security Minister Santi Promphat.

"Women should be nourished in several ways, especially in knowledge and education."

The academy will also provide opportunities for women to be mentored by women already in political positions and will offer participants the chance to intern at political entities in their communities and provinces.

Upon completion, participants will be assigned to work for political entities in their respective areas on an internship basis, and where possible, to learn from and be mentored by Muslim women who are already in political positions.

Joining the prime minister at Government House will be Santi, Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana, Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan and Rarinthip Sirorat, deputy permanent secretary for the Social Development and Human Security Ministry.

Working to eliminate violence

At the UN centre in Bangkok, Asia-Pacific governments, the justice and law-enforcement sectors, civil society organisations and UN agencies also marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Observed each year on November 25, the day marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign. The 16 days were chosen to symbolically link the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women with International Human Rights Day on December 10.

In Thailand, over 40 per cent of women report having experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner.

In her address to the audience, PM's Office Minister Sansanee Nakpong noted that the Thai

government is focusing on empowerment, citing the prime minister's newly established National Women's Development Fund, which offers advice to women suffering from abuse and domestic violence.

Today, 125 countries have laws that penalise domestic violence, a huge step forward from just a decade ago.

However, up to seven in 10 women continue to be targeted with physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetimes, and 603 million women live in countries where domestic violence is still not a crime.

-- The Nation 2012-12-09

[geriatrickid]

This UN program derives most of its funding from the west.

I

[theslime]

Its not rights they need but a black belts.

[Rancid]

The UN is a largely useless organisation whose only claim to fame is getting an army of well paid arrogant bureaucrats on the public payroll. Evidence seems to suggest that Thai women are just as corrupt as the men when in positions of power, that alone should be an endorsement of their ability to be in government.

[ChrisY1]

I don't see Naline, (the 7 billion baht lady)......name here.....I'm sure she would be excellent in this role.......very good at spending for womens roles!!

[Thai at Heart]

what a ridiculously patronising headline.

because obviously the women in the rest of Thailand are all so empowered.

[rakCR]

Err, maybe it is a bit sensible but... what makes me raise an eyebrow:

It is not about the quota of Women but Muslim Women.

And "national launch".

And Muslim Leadership.

Strange.

[simple1]

Err, maybe it is a bit sensible but... what makes me raise an eyebrow:

It is not about the quota of Women but Muslim Women.

And "national launch".

And Muslim Leadership.

Strange.

What's so strange? The Thai government obviously wish to empower & encourage the female Muslim community to join in the local political process to influence the insurgency in the Deep South. It's a good tactic & hopefully will yield positive results.

[h90]

what a ridiculously patronising headline.

because obviously the women in the rest of Thailand are all so empowered.

Actually our customer (all companies) have approx. equal amounts of female owner and manager, I would even say more women than men. Also the decision maker for purchases in big companies are often women.

[Thai at Heart]

what a ridiculously patronising headline.

because obviously the women in the rest of Thailand are all so empowered.

Actually our customer (all companies) have approx. equal amounts of female owner and manager, I would even say more women than men. Also the decision maker for purchases in big companies are often women.

there are many legal conditions on a married woman and what business she can do, without her husbands agreement.

this is nowhere near a legally equal society.

just ask thaksin.

[osiboy]

what worries me is that if the muslim candidates are wearing their batmask and cape , how do we know who has won the vote ?? , will they have to go into a voting booth to reveal their identity ? ...............it's like , ...............whats the point ,...........

i never understand why they have their photos taken while on holiday in london or paris etc ,..... how do they know who is who in the pic ? mkj.

[philw]

what a ridiculously patronising headline.

because obviously the women in the rest of Thailand are all so empowered.

Actually our customer (all companies) have approx. equal amounts of female owner and manager, I would even say more women than men. Also the decision maker for purchases in big companies are often women.

there are many legal conditions on a married woman and what business she can do, without her husbands agreement.

this is nowhere near a legally equal society.

just ask thaksin.

Quite.

So it's loaded in favour of the woman then ??

[philw]

what worries me is that if the muslim candidates are wearing their batmask and cape , how do we know who has won the vote ?? , will they have to go into a voting booth to reveal their identity ? ...............it's like , ...............whats the point ,...........

i never understand why they have their photos taken while on holiday in london or paris etc ,..... how do they know who is who in the pic ? mkj.

Please go back to sleep............

[simple1]

what worries me is that if the muslim candidates are wearing their batmask and cape , how do we know who has won the vote ?? , will they have to go into a voting booth to reveal their identity ? ...............it's like , ...............whats the point ,...........

i never understand why they have their photos taken while on holiday in london or paris etc ,..... how do they know who is who in the pic ? mkj.

The vast majority of Thai Muslim women do not wear burka's.

[hellodolly]

Err, maybe it is a bit sensible but... what makes me raise an eyebrow:

It is not about the quota of Women but Muslim Women.

And "national launch".

And Muslim Leadership.

Strange.

What's so strange? The Thai government obviously wish to empower & encourage the female Muslim community to join in the local political process to influence the insurgency in the Deep South. It's a good tactic & hopefully will yield positive results.

What is strange is that not only is she trying to change a cultural thing but also a religious way.

Edit

By the way I do support her in this endeavor and wish her lots of success. It is just that I really think that if she was to launch a high powered campaign and keep it up it would still have a very small success rate.

[HHBM]

Will they need permission to attend?