Campaign uses education to improve the lot of girls

[Lite Beer]

SPECIAL REPORT
Campaign uses education to improve the lot of girls
Tanpisit Lerdbamrungchai
The Sunday Nation

Liangheng

RAYONG: -- Twelve-year-old Liangheng Amawasi lives in Rayong province with her rubber tapper Thai dad and her baker Vietnamese mum.

Despite her stateless status, she could attend Thesabal Wat Paknam School, where she studies in Prathom 6. "No one at school mocks me about my stateless status and I am going to continue my Mathayom 1 education," the hopeful girl said.

Liangheng is among many children who joined the school's "Young Entrepreneur" project, funded by Plan International Organisation (Thailand) and Standard Chartered Bank. She learned how to make and sell sushi every day after class, as the school project provided each student a Bt100 share per week. "I deposit my earnings from the project into the school's bank so I can eventually buy a pair of gym shoes and stationery, without having to ask for money from my parents," the girl said.

Liangheng's teacher, Budsayamas Ansaen, said 80 per cent of the school's pupils were poor, as most parents worked in fisheries or rubber plantations, while about half of the pupils were Thai-Cambodian and a few were stateless persons. Most kids here were able to study Mathayom 1 and then they - boys and girls alike - slipped out of the school system because the community didn't give much importance to education.

"Some girls aged 17-18 are already sending their kids to kindergarten class," she said, adding the school tried its best to educate kids but it eventually was up to each kid whether he or she wants to stay on the right track. "Some kids just go astray," she added.

Liangheng's project was part of the "Because I am a girl" international campaign, which has been run for the fifth consecutive year by Plan International (Thailand) and the business sector to promote education and elevate the life quality and vocational skills of girls.

On Friday, country director Maja Cubarrubia told a Bangkok seminar held to mark the October 11 International Day of the Girl Child that stateless girls had to labour for Bt120-Bt200 daily wage, while some worked at karaoke bars and restaurants, which put them at risk of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Providing them educational opportunities would help them get better jobs and a better life, she said.

Another speaker, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand, Darren N Buckley, said two-thirds of global women were labourers who still couldn't access all rights equally as their male counterparts, while millions of women slipped out of the education system due to poverty. If women were provided with education and jobs, it would enable the economy to develop by 90 per cent hence the business sector should participate in providing support to girls, he urged.

Earlier, new data revealed by Unicef showed the magnitude of violence against adolescent girls worldwide and the alarming attitudes that perpetuate such abuse. The key statistics include:

_ Almost a quarter of girls aged 15 to 19 (about 70 million) report being victims of some form of physical violence from age 15.

_ Around 120 million girls under the age of 20 (about 1 in 10) have experienced forced sexual acts, and one in three married adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 (84 million) have been victims of emotional, physical or sexual violence committed by their partners.

_ In some countries, as many as seven in 10 girls aged 15 to 19 who had been victims of physical and/or sexual abuse had never sought help: Many said they did not think it was abuse or did not see it as a problem.

_ Worldwide more than 700 million women alive today were married before their 18th birthday. More than one in three (about 250 million) entered into union before age 15.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Campaign-uses-education-to-improve-the-lot-of-girl-30245296.html

-- The Nation 2014-10-12

[ATF]

Yeah great more cheap factory fodder.

How can a stateless person open a company or even a bank account?

[jaltsc]

"Despite her stateless status, she could attend Thesabal Wat Paknam School, where she studies in Prathom 6. "No one at school mocks me about my stateless status and I am going to continue my Mathayom 1 education," the hopeful girl said."

No one mocks her status because most of them are probably stateless as well.

In many countries if one of the parents is from that nation, or the child is born in that nation s/he is considered a national. Perhaps if they changed her stateless status and gave her the same rights and opportunities as children of Thai citizens, many barriers would be eliminated and she could take full advantage of an education. However, the main fear is probably that these stateless children would excel in the classroom and the spoiled lazy Thai children who just take up classroom space, and their families, would lose face. After all, in Thailand saving face trumps all other considerations.

[hanuman2543]

Isn't it the law that if one parent is a Thai citizen that the child has Thai Citizenship also?

[Commerce]

Isn't it the law that if one parent is a Thai citizen that the child has Thai Citizenship also?

I was thinking exactly the same thing. I think it has to be the mother though?

[ggt]

one in three married adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 (84 million) have been victims of emotional, physical or sexual violence committed by their partners.

Although, in some cultures this is considered a normal and acceptable practice by the husband...in civilized society...mistreatment of another human being...especially one's wife and children...is unacceptable...even criminal...

Kudos to the people trying to help these young girls get an education and break the cycle of poverty and abuse which goes on far too often in these communities...

[bkk_mike]

Isn't it the law that if one parent is a Thai citizen that the child has Thai Citizenship also?

I was thinking exactly the same thing. I think it has to be the mother though?

Maybe the parent's aren't officially married, and just did the ceremony?

That would then explain the stateless part, although you'd think it would be easy to fix.

[dominique355]

Just a few questions:

1. Why does she not have Thai citizenship if her father is Thai?

2. Why do these programs support only the vocational skills of girls when most young men are even more in need of a proper education that allows them to earn money (to support their babies and mother of their babies)?

3. What about child labor? No problem here?

[atyclb]

"Despite her stateless status, she could attend Thesabal Wat Paknam School, where she studies in Prathom 6. "No one at school mocks me about my stateless status and I am going to continue my Mathayom 1 education," the hopeful girl said."

No one mocks her status because most of them are probably stateless as well.

In many countries if one of the parents is from that nation, or the child is born in that nation s/he is considered a national. Perhaps if they changed her stateless status and gave her the same rights and opportunities as children of Thai citizens, many barriers would be eliminated and she could take full advantage of an education. However, the main fear is probably that these stateless children would excel in the classroom and the spoiled lazy Thai children who just take up classroom space, and their families, would lose face. After all, in Thailand saving face trumps all other considerations.

Some/many would argue being barred from the thai education system is an "advantage"

[BritTim]

3. What about child labor? No problem here?

This is one of the trickiest areas for the law to deal with.

I personally feel this is a great example of positive work experience for young people. There is no exploitation. They are doing it for a limited number of hours. It is both educational and helps the child to feel good about herself.

In a similar way, many children help their parents in their small businesses. For example, if the parents own a small street food stall, the children will commonly help out in their free time. I think it absolutely right that they should as long as it does not interfere with their education and other development. I would note, in passing, that such parents are usually ambitious for their children as well as themselves, and the children usually end up with a university education.

On the other hand, the law absolutely needs to be framed in a way that protects children from being exploited, forced to work rather than getting a proper education and the social interaction necessary for their development. There is no perfect solution. Those framing legislation need to do the best they can, and then hope for intelligent selective enforcement/