Thailand: Subverting the women's fund

Help the mother, and you help her whole family. Who can argue with that? Why then has the 7.7-billion-baht Women's Fund got the thumbs-down from many women's rights groups and legal experts? The answer lies in their common concern regarding abuse for political gain. This is a real concern.

During her election campaign, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said she would allot each province a 100-million-baht women's fund. She announced this policy at the National Council of Women of Thailand, where her elder sister was once president and still enjoys wide influence. The message was not missed _ that if she won the election, the Women's Council and its nationwide members would play an important role in the fund's management.

For more information, see The Bankok Times.