Thai organisations rally for stricter enforcement of violence laws

Several civil society organisations have called on Thai authorities to intensify their efforts in the battle against violence towards women and children.

They are advocating for the strict enforcement of laws against perpetrators of such violence and the creation of safe zones within communities to safeguard the vulnerable.

Plan International, in collaboration with eight partners, including the ASEAN Children Foundation Thailand (CFT), the Lanna Children Rights Coalition (LCRC) and the Child Rights Coalition Asia (CRC Asia), orchestrated an event titled The Power of Children, Youth and Women – 16 days of Activism against Gender-based Violence. This event was held in observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Sudawadee Limpaibul, who is the Programme Innovation and Impact Director at Plan International, highlighted that women and children are disproportionately victims of violence, often perpetrated by family members. Sudawadee highlighted the disturbing statistic that a third of Thai women have been victims of such violence.

The root causes of this violence, she suggested, lie in societal inequality, cultural gender bias and the misguided idea that women should be blamed for marital strife.

She further pointed out that apart from physical violence, young people and children are also subjected to verbal abuse. They require a secure environment where they can express their thoughts and feelings without fear.

“The establishment of safe zones is crucial for them. We have interacted with numerous children who live in fear of violence, particularly LGBTQ children who are not accepted by their families.”

Number of cases

The Pareena Foundation reported that it received a staggering 6,745 complaints of violence last year, with 944 cases involving sexual assault or harassment. Of these, 381 victims were girls aged between 10 and 15 years old, with the perpetrators usually being family members.

Moreover, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) discovered that over 45,000 women and children globally were killed by family members last year, according to the foundation, reported Bangkok Post.

Amara Pongsapit, the Thai representative to the ASEAN Commission on Human Rights, stated that Thailand is committed to promoting the rights of women and children. This commitment is highlighted in the ASEAN Convention on Human Trafficking, which was designed to protect women and children from criminals.

ASEAN has been making progress by enhancing its ability to protect women and children, especially in the online space. Future plans include the drafting of guidelines to protect them on digital platforms, with a meeting on the subject set to be hosted by Singapore next year.