Thai Society Sees Women ' As Lowly'

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CARTOON CONTROVERSY
Thai society sees women 'as lowly'
Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation

Anthropologist slams females for ignoring sexist attack on Yingluck

BANGKOK: -- Using the term prostitute as a reference to slam Prime Minister Yingluck Shinwatra only degrades women and perpetuates misogynic attitudes, three women - a leading feminist, an anthropologist and a sex worker - said.

Virada Somsawasdi is founder of the Women's Studies Programme at Chiang Mai University and commissioner at the Law Reform Commission of Thailand in charge of pushing for a gender equality bill.

She said Thai society sees women as lowly and this is reflected in the use of sexist slurs by both sides of the political divide.

The latest misogynistic remark was made by Thai Rath newspaper cartoonist Chai Rachawat who criticised Yingluck as worse than a whore because she allegedly sells out Thailand. Virada said Chai should not have picked on women in particular.

"Men can sell their country, too. But [Chai] referred to [Yingluck] by mentioning the word whore. They see women as lowly," said Virada, adding that such discourse should end.

Many Thai men are hypocritical, said Virada, as they use the service of sex workers and push the notion of prostitute to elevate themselves and degrade women at the same time.

Virada also criticised Panthongthae Shinawatra for having made a similarly sexist remark. Panthongtae tried to defend her aunt, Yingluck, by stating on Facebook earlier this week that if Chai didn't apologise, he should put on a skirt.

Virada said the solution is to address the whole system of Thai society, which is embedded in chauvinistic thinking and gender-power relations.

Chiang Mai University anthropologist Pinkaew Luangaramsri, said she is disappointed that many feminists chose to keep quiet about the issue simply because they're politically against Yingluck.

"They don't come out because they've taken a political stance. This is not healthy," she said.

"They hate Yingluck, the prime minister. But coming out [to criticise Chai] doesn't mean they have to necessarily support Yingluck. If they don't, then who else will?"

'women still objectified'

Pinkaew said regarding women as mere objects is still prevalent in Thailand and the Kingdom has yet to develop political correctness when it comes to gender issues.

In Thailand, she said, there's an attempt to change the Thai word for whore and prostitute to sex worker, in order to challenge the established meaning and attain a broader nuance in order to perceive a sex worker as a 'worker'.

Lily, a Chiang Mai-based 37-year-old veteran sex worker and a volunteer with Empower group, an NGO which promotes the rights of sex workers, told The Nation on the phone that Chai should think twice before using the notion of "whore" (kari) as a launching PAD to criticise others.

She said sex workers in Thailand are still fighting to have their work recognised as legal, adding that sex workers don't just sell their bodies, but are often offer emotional support to their clients as well.

"Sex work is a job," Lily said. "They don't see us as human, though some of us are bread winners. They have forgotten to respect us as human."


-- The Nation 2013-05-09

[hookedondhamma]

Awful comments ignored? mai bpen rai!

Taking action? mai bpen rai!

It's ok! mai bpen rai!

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I don't see the cartoon showing any hatred of women.

I don't see the cartoon showing women as lowly.

[brd199]

Chiang Mai University anthropologist Pinkaew Luangaramsri, said she is disappointed that many feminists chose to keep quiet about the issue simply because they're politically against Yingluck.

They must understand the nonsense last month for what it was, :

BANGKOK, April 2 - Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Tuesday received a "Woman of the Year" award for her role in supporting the empowerment of women in the society.

http://www.mcot.net/site/content?id=515ab53a150ba0706a0001b2#.UYr3BEpuKSo

[Locationthailand]

Does anyone really care? Yingluck 'has' sold out Thailand and the buck stops at the top with her. As is often quoted - madam we know what you are, we are now just negotiating the price.

[BeforeTigers]

hm. Kinda. I guess.

Personally, I think sex work is as legitimate a vocation as any other unskilled labor.
Why isn't anyone talking about how this insults sex workers?


I mean, they didn't accidentally call her a whore because she happened to be female. It was an intentional insult. When you insult someone you need to use language that will hit it's target. "Whore" is an historical insult for women. They could just as well have called a male minister a whore but it wouldn't have quite the same sting, don't ya think.

Not to defend misogyny, but, what were they supposed to call her? A fag? A sissy? Impotent? ... Any of the other insults that are historical insults to males the world over.

[WhizBang]

Oh please.

It was a political cartoon. Don't try to 'read' more into it than it was.

If the shoe fits, Madam PM....

[PREM-R]

Does anyone really care? Yingluck 'has' sold out Thailand and the buck stops at the top with her. As is often quoted - madam we know what you are, we are now just negotiating the price.

Sold out Thailand to who? If you have evidence of this then post links.

[Thai at Heart]

They say it's a man's world, and Thailand is definitely a man's country. Good luck changing that in the near term.

[ccarbaugh]

" ...Many Thai men are hypocritical, said Virada, as they use the service of sex workers and push the notion of prostitute to elevate themselves and degrade women at the same time."

Could also be said, "Many Thai people are hypocritical, as they use the financial support of farangs and push the notion of farang=kohn-mai-dee to elevate themselves and degrade farangs at the same time."

( Welcome to our world. )

[Polkadotskies69]

I showed this to my husband and he just told me to shush and go make him a sandwich

??

[indyuk]

Does anyone really care? Yingluck 'has' sold out Thailand and the buck stops at the top with her. As is often quoted - madam we know what you are, we are now just negotiating the price.

Sir you should respect Yingluck's position as Prime Minister. Second you should respect all women so that you may become a 'real man'. It is also important that you recognise that we men are interllectually inferior when compared scientifically to the females of our species. Finally you might consider discussing your irrational fear of women with a psycologist.

[chrisloh]

" ...Many Thai men are hypocritical, said Virada, as they use the service of sex workers and push the notion of prostitute to elevate themselves and degrade women at the same time."

Could also be said, "Many Thai people are hypocritical, as they use the financial support of farangs and push the notion of farang=kohn-mai-dee to elevate themselves and degrade farangs at the same time."

( Welcome to our world. )

Please be informed that without farangs, the Thais and Thailand can still survive and move on. Do not carry yourself so highly. It's the farangs who want to come to Thailand. Please have some decent respect for the country. Anyway if you feel you are short changed, you are always welcome to look elsewhere.

[mrtoad]

Even he highest is controlled via SKYPE

Edited May 9, 2013 by mrtoad

[willyumiii]

Excuse me?

Are there not many Man Whores too?

The men don't get paid. That just means the women whores are a lot smarter!

[Jimbob1]

I showed this to my husband and he just told me to shush and go make him a sandwich

You can make me one while your there too ... Ahh yeah and grab me a cold beer

[theajarn]

As was mentioned in the beginning -- the cartoon had absolutely NOTHING to do with degrading women.

This is just another sorry attempt for sorry Thai feminists to get attention. Boo-hoo. Go back home to your Chinese husband who beats you because your firstborn was not a male.

Thai society makes me sick. It's all about getting attention and power for self-serving needs. Forget the real issues at hand.

[Dr Robert]

Who says sex workers are unskilled? Given the amount of practice many of them have, I would think there are a few approaching perfection. Maybe we need to start an undergrad program at university and give it some legitimacy? Now what would you call a program like that...?

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Who says sex workers are unskilled? Given the amount of practice many of them have, I would think there are a few approaching perfection. Maybe we need to start an undergrad program at university and give it some legitimacy? Now what would you call a program like that...?

Women's Studies?

[thhMan]

Thats unusual...

Thai women are smarter and work harder than the Societies men.

--- Start Rant and exaggeration ---

Which is not unusual as men are raised to be lazy, waited on hand and foot and when they grow up, they cannot think for themselves, get drunk, sleep all day, move to Phuket and try and eek out a living conning tourists, just so they can report home how successful they are, when in reality, they are shameful excuses for Thai Society human beings! Of course the parents don't give a damn how the money comes in, as ethics, doing the right thing and karma have all but been bred out of them

--- End Rant ---

Women are Thailand's savior... the men are just extra baggage that needs to be dumped!

[Baerboxer]

hm. Kinda. I guess.

Personally, I think sex work is as legitimate a vocation as any other unskilled labor.

Why isn't anyone talking about how this insults sex workers?

I mean, they didn't accidentally call her a whore because she happened to be female. It was an intentional insult. When you insult someone you need to use language that will hit it's target. "Whore" is an historical insult for women. They could just as well have called a male minister a whore but it wouldn't have quite the same sting, don't ya think.

Not to defend misogyny, but, what were they supposed to call her? A fag? A sissy? Impotent? ... Any of the other insults that are historical insults to males the world over.

Seeing sex work as a vocation is an interesting worldview. I'm sure many sex workers would regard themselves as being very skilled. Classing them as unskilled labour is more of an insult.

The word whore is a legitimate word, as is harlot or prostitute. It is not a slang or swear word and is not in itself an insult. The insult is that people think lowly of sex workers, which is also has illegal connotations in many countries, and to be called one or compared to one is therefore deemed an insult.

[theajarn]

Does anyone really care? Yingluck 'has' sold out Thailand and the buck stops at the top with her. As is often quoted - madam we know what you are, we are now just negotiating the price.

Sold out Thailand to who? If you have evidence of this then post links.

Well let's see... AEC for starters. Puts Thai nurses and those concerned in a pretty bad position. Especially since the country has no REAL intention of educating the masses (you would know this if you taught in the industry for a decade as I have).

Thaksin selling his company to Singapore -- TAX FREE. All that money could have gone to Thailand -- but why do that? It's much better to SELL OUT the country to seal the deal.

Most businesses here are owned by Chinese families. I used to teach in an EP (English Program) as well as the regular program in a government school. Guess which one has mainly Thai students and which one has ones of mainly Chinese-descent?

Thailand has already been sold. I'm not saying we should have an all-out war against the Chinese... but it's plainly obvious how the governments work to keep the Thais in their place.

After all, the Chinese get treated like xxxx in their own lands as well.

Edited May 9, 2013 by metisdead

[Baerboxer]

Does anyone really care? Yingluck 'has' sold out Thailand and the buck stops at the top with her. As is often quoted - madam we know what you are, we are now just negotiating the price.

Sir you should respect Yingluck's position as Prime Minister. Second you should respect all women so that you may become a 'real man'. It is also important that you recognise that we men are interllectually inferior when compared scientifically to the females of our species. Finally you might consider discussing your irrational fear of women with a psycologist.

You want to do more research mate. Recent neurological research concluded that women's brains have a higher mental processing capacity than man's.

One of the manifestations of this is their ability to multi task.

[Baerboxer]

Does anyone really care? Yingluck 'has' sold out Thailand and the buck stops at the top with her. As is often quoted - madam we know what you are, we are now just negotiating the price.

Sold out Thailand to who? If you have evidence of this then post links.

Well let's see... AEC for starters. Puts Thai nurses and those concerned in a pretty bad position. Especially since the country has no REAL intention of educating the masses (you would know this if you taught in the industry for a decade as I have).

Thaksin selling his company to Singapore -- TAX FREE. All that money could have gone to Thailand -- but why do that? It's much better to SELL OUT the country to seal the deal.

Most businesses here are owned by Chinese families. I used to teach in an EP (English Program) as well as the regular program in a government school. Guess which one has mainly Thai students and which one has ones of mainly Chinese-descent?

Thailand has already been sold. I'm not saying we should have an all-out war against the Chinese... but it's plainly obvious how the governments work to keep the Thais in their place.

After all, the Chinese get treated like xxxx in their own lands as well.

Interesting comments - but Yingluck is hardly responsible for all of this, and neither is Thaksin. They simply take advantage of the legacy and continue.

The Thai masses will wake up one day, and we may then see a situation like Malaysia had when the Malays and ethnic Indians realised that the ethnic chinese had most of the wealth and power. Hope it gets resolved socially first, but no one seems interested in changing the status quo. Even China seems more concerned about the longer term effects of the increasing social divides.

Edited May 9, 2013 by Baerboxer

[Baerboxer]

Who says sex workers are unskilled? Given the amount of practice many of them have, I would think there are a few approaching perfection. Maybe we need to start an undergrad program at university and give it some legitimacy? Now what would you call a program like that...?

Women's Studies?

I'd like to volunteer to be an assessor and examiner.

[Baerboxer]

Oh please. It was a political cartoon. Don't try to 'read' more into it than it was. If the shoe fits, Madam PM....

You're right. The lady doth protest too much.

She should have laughed it off with some pithy comment. Then it would have quickly died. Now blown out of all proportion - suing for defamation, bans on webstites etc., and drawing more attention.

The initial speech that provoked this was ill judged. Subsequent attempts to "expalin" what she really meant made it worse. This just prolongs what could become an open sore.

She needs some new advisors.

[Jingthing]

Yes men can sell their country too. Of course, it's mostly men.

But men can also be prostitutes.

Trying to connect Yingluck to feminism just because of her gender is laughable.

[gl555]

Sometimes these feminists are just idiots who can't see the big picture. Yingluck could be a guy and would still be called a whore who sold out this country for the moron from Dubai.

[Jingthing]

Sometimes these feminists are just idiots who can't see the big picture. Yingluck could be a guy and would still be called a whore who sold out this country for the moron from Dubai.

Not sure a male politician would be called a whore for that. He would be called WORSE than eat. If you can't stand the heat ... !

[bigbamboo]

Thai society may see their women as lowly but they still have more rights than farang men!