Women leaders remain scarce in Thai local politics. What can be done?
Source: Global Voices
According to a report by UN Women, as of January 2023, Thai women held only 20.4 percent of elected seats in local government. Out of 89,329 elected positions, there were 18,262 women.
Women leaders remain rare in local politics. Because of the particular limitations that they have to face, Thai women have to work much harder just to be seen as the equals of their male counterparts. Yet many are reaching beyond these limitations and working to inspire new generations to join public service.
Glass ceiling
In the 2020 local elections, women won only 12 out of 76 seats as presidents of Provincial Administrative Organizations (PAOs), according to King Prajadhipok's Institute database.
According to Rocket Media Lab, women candidates for PAO president are outnumbered from the start. Out of 332 candidates, 238 were men (85 percent) and only 49 were women (15 percent).
PAO presidents are the highest elected executive positions in local administration. The PAOs also have legislative Councils, also elected. Below the PAOs are Subdistrict Administrative Organizations (SAOs) and municipalities. There are also Special Administrative Regions such as Bangkok and Pattaya.
King Prajadhipok's Institute reports that among the 5300 SAO presidents who held office from before the 2014 military coup until 2021, 93 percent were men and only 7 percent were women. At the municipal level of the same period, there were 2,233 male mayors and only 208 females.
For some researchers, the lack of women representatives in local government can be attributed to the pervasive idea, rooted in various social institutions, that it is better for women to live in the household as a wife and a mother, that women can’t “have it all,” and that men have better leadership traits.
Read here the full article published by Global Voices on 19 June 2024.
Image by Global Voices
According to a report by UN Women, as of January 2023, Thai women held only 20.4 percent of elected seats in local government. Out of 89,329 elected positions, there were 18,262 women.
Women leaders remain rare in local politics. Because of the particular limitations that they have to face, Thai women have to work much harder just to be seen as the equals of their male counterparts. Yet many are reaching beyond these limitations and working to inspire new generations to join public service.
Glass ceiling
In the 2020 local elections, women won only 12 out of 76 seats as presidents of Provincial Administrative Organizations (PAOs), according to King Prajadhipok's Institute database.
According to Rocket Media Lab, women candidates for PAO president are outnumbered from the start. Out of 332 candidates, 238 were men (85 percent) and only 49 were women (15 percent).
PAO presidents are the highest elected executive positions in local administration. The PAOs also have legislative Councils, also elected. Below the PAOs are Subdistrict Administrative Organizations (SAOs) and municipalities. There are also Special Administrative Regions such as Bangkok and Pattaya.
King Prajadhipok's Institute reports that among the 5300 SAO presidents who held office from before the 2014 military coup until 2021, 93 percent were men and only 7 percent were women. At the municipal level of the same period, there were 2,233 male mayors and only 208 females.
For some researchers, the lack of women representatives in local government can be attributed to the pervasive idea, rooted in various social institutions, that it is better for women to live in the household as a wife and a mother, that women can’t “have it all,” and that men have better leadership traits.
Read here the full article published by Global Voices on 19 June 2024.
Image by Global Voices