12+Thailand

Country: Thailand Topic: Women's Rights Committee: 12 Name: Alexia S. Period: 0

Committee 13 Women’s Rights Thailand BACKGROUND Women’s rights has become a problem all over the world since the beginning of human beings, and we still have not given women all their deserved rights. Women’s rights has been a top issue forever, and we have evolved, but not enough in every country. The countries that deprive women of the most rights are mostly third world countries. For example, South Africa was one of the worst when it comes to women’s rights. Before 1994, women could not vote, could not go through abortion, and could not do many other activities that men could. However, the South African women fought for their rights for four years and now 25 percent of legislators in South Africa are women. This is the same for many countries where women could not even be seen outside of their homes, and now they have more rights than ever. This issue is like the domino effect because when one country bans women from doing something, then the other countries follow, but when a country opens up opportunities for women, so do the following countries. UN INVOLVEMENT Our world’s governments and peacemakers have done a lot to help this issue. The United Nations have especially helped with the issue. The U.N made a treaty called United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). They created the treaty in 1979. The treaty is meant to reduce violence and discrimination against women, and to make sure that women have all the same rights as men. 185 nations have ratified the treaty as of March of 2007. Also, the NGO Members of the Gender, Women and Development working group of Thailand has held many seminars to display and celebrate International Women's Day. There seminars are two day discussions with all of the Thai women who attend. GWAD also has held many street marches in Thailand promoting or celebrating the advancement of women. MY COUNTRIES INVOLVEMENT Thailand is one of the many countries that has a huge problem with women’s rights. However, they have attempted to at least reduce the amount of problems by passing new laws against sexual trafficking and the practice of selling women into prostitution. Thailand has also signed the women’s rights treaty, CEDAW, to reduce the amount of discrimination against women and prostitution. Thailand hasn’t done much to help this issue because the issue is so large in their country and very hard to approach with a good plan. SOLUTIONS Members of the Gender, Women and Development working group (GWAD) of Thailand have many goals for the development of women rights in Thailand. First, they wish to come together with the U.N and support the advancement of the Thai women. Second, they want to support the Thai government and NGOs in installing the platform of Action for Advancement of Women. And lastly, provide advice on the gender issues in the U.N Thai country program.