How gender equality belongs to us all? - Lesson learned from empowerment based work with Thai Grass Root Women

กว่าที่ความเป็นธรรมทางเพศจะเป็นเรื่องของเราทุกคน บทเรียนการทำงานเพิ่มอำนาจให้ขบวนผู้หญิงรากหญ้าในประเทศไทย

Abstract

This article is a narrative study of Thai grass root women groups, whose works are supported by women wellbeing and gender equality program under the Sexuality Study Association. In between 2013 – 2016, the author has worked closely with the program as the main internal evaluator and facilitated the lesson learned process. This study explores empowerment factors, which support the women movement powerfully, provide intersectoral participations and made a valuable change. Samples women groups are selected from two main working issues; (1) Gender Based Violence: indigenous women group, southern Muslim women group, policewomen group, women from One Stop Crisis Center (OSCC) by Ministry of Health, women from Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) and (2) Unintended Pregnancy: women group from Songkhla and Amnat Charoen Province. As a result, five empowerment based working procedures are recommended: (1) Understanding the “Anti-Oppression Spiritual-Based Feminism” concept (2) Resurrection of internal power (3) Understanding of social and cultural structures causing gender based violence (4) Result-Based Project Cycle Management design with power sharing among stakeholders and (5) Co-Design of Monitoring and Evaluation Process.