Women, Peace and Security in Thailand

Abstract

Thailand has ratified and committed to a number of international instruments promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, through the adoption and implementation of its national laws and policies. These include the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325, in 2000, and subsequent UNSCRs on women, peace and security (WPS). The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand 2017 guarantees gender equality in Article 27, gender-responsive budgeting in Article 71, and women’s role in politics and decision-making in Article 90. In addition, the Gender Equality Act 2015 was passed to prohibit discrimination based on gender. It also includes recognition of the diverse gender and sexual identities, including male, female and LGBTIQ+.

Since the adoption of UNSCR 1325 in 2000, and to ensure the protection and participation of women, including in conflict-affected settings, Thailand has localized and implemented UNSCR 1325 by prioritizing full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peacebuilding and by integrating the WPS agenda into both existing or newly developed national laws and policies, especially those related to women and gender.