Establishment of Community-based Women Peace and Security (WPS)Implementation Mechanisms in Thailand

UN Women has supported capacity-building initiatives for local authorities and CSOs across Southern, Northern and Northeastern border provinces, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange on WPS issues. As part of these capacity-building efforts, UN Women in partnership with the Department of Women’s Affairs and Family Development (Ministry of Social Development and Human Security) has introduced initiatives focused on women’s economic opportunities as a mechanism for women’s empowerment for social cohesion and conflict prevention. These efforts also include gender-responsive emergency response and disaster risk reduction, resulting in the establishment of women-led crisis preparedness groups in the Southern Border Provinces.

Several women’s groups have been trained on gender-responsive emergency response and disaster risk reduction and livelihood development skills including vocational training and online marketing. These efforts have led to the creation of community-based WPS Implementation Mechanisms in the Southern Border Provinces. The initiative includes establishing WPS Focal Points, WPS Networks, and Women’s Empowerment (WE) Centers, involving local governments, civil society organizations (CSOs), NGOs, and women leaders working on WPS-related issues.

The WPS network will receive training and access to platforms to enhance their understanding of the WPS agenda, enabling more effective collaboration with national and local governments in implementing the WPS NAP at the community level. There will also be WPS Focal Points which will help coordinate WPS Network in their region. Meanwhile, the WE Centers will serve as a safe space for the WPS network to deepen knowledge, share experiences, and advance the WPS agenda. These initiatives are nchored in the principles of inclusivity, sustainability, and innovation.