Ariya Svetamra Department of Women s Studies Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University

Transcription

1 Ariya Svetamra Department of Women s Studies Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University

2 Women s Studies Center (WSC), Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University was established in 1986.

3 WSC was firstly established as women s studies program with the main task for rural women leader trainings. Since 2000, it becomes as an arena for dissemination of western world Feminist theories and methods through the Women s Studies Master s Program. And the new set of body of knowledge of Thai and regional women s studies discipline have been constructed in various forms and topics, i.e. thesis, research, collecting of books/texts and publications. It coordinates and organizes workshops, trainings, conferences, and lectures for local, national, and international groups.

4 1. Women s Studies Graduate Program 2. Information Center 3. Paralegal Training for Rural Women in 17 provinces of northern Thailand 4. Feminist Research Training and Researches 5. Colloquium on Gender Justice of the Judicial Personnel 6. The Workshop with Female Politicians

5 7. Gender, Sexuality and Reproductive Rights and Health Program in the Mekong Sub-region 8. Seminar in the International Woman s Month and seminar in Ending Violence against Women Month 9. Campaign for women s movement issues: legislations on gender equality, sex crimes, CEDAW, trafficking in women and girls 10. Cultural House s Activities

6 On February 28, 2009, the Women s Studies Center was ratified under Chiang Mai University announcement on departmentalization as Department of Women s Studies.

7 The department aims to be the academic and research center in the field of women s studies. It provides BA. Course, M.A. program and Ph.D. program in Women s and Gender Studies. It provides the resource for publishing, accumulating, searching, disseminating all data related to women s problems and academic service for society. It is an important strategy that institute such as university should support the issue of Women s Studies in order to develop knowledge system/body of knowledge and then provide service to the public.

8 The Seminar for Reflections on Women s Studies Is to Die or to Grow? on the occasion of 27 th Anniversary of Thai Women s Studies Center at Chiang Mai University

9 What and how importance and contribution of "Women s Studies theories /concepts work in the Thai society and region? According to sex, gender and sexuality, sex is the starting point of birth and reproduction is a connecting point of one life to another life or one generation to another generation. Women s Studies gives us the important thing for humans which is the way of looking at sexual relations as power relations. All schools of Women s Studies have the same issue that society has to go for sexual /gender equality. Therefore, Women s Studies as a methodology of sexuality and gender studies is not to die

10 Sign of Life Within the changes, there is the sign of life for Women s Studies. Women s Studies should find more alliance to work together. Women s movement in Thailand which emphasizes on the issue of gender justice has to work harder on expanding alliance, communicating with both old and new generations in society. Women s Studies might be integrated with local development or Women s Studies might be linked to health issues or human security and etc. Women s Studies may find more the sharpening and contemporary issues. For example, the sexuality issue is being in the beauty of body, leadership, aging of population, beauty, consumerism, etc. Women s Studies has to connect these issues and make them sharper.

11 Contemporary situation relevance To be interesting discipline, Women s Studies has to link to contemporary situation or contemporary interesting issues of young generation. It is necessary to think about new questions or new pioneering questions and new debates. Women s Studies in universities should not focus only on academic work but should link to women s and gender equality movement for social change and sexual equity encouragement.

12 Curriculum Provides M.A. program in women s studies and minor courses for B.A. students M.A. and Ph.D. program in Women s and Gender Studies (International Program)

13 Seminar/Lecture by special instructor

14 Gender Camp

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16 One Billion Rising For Gender University Thailand

17 - Houses 13,000 English and Thai textbooks, policy documents, theses, newsletters, slides, videotapes, and audio tapes from various women s organizations worldwide Considered the best of its kind in Thailand

18 THE WSC HAS ALSO PRODUCED ITS OWN PUBLICATIONS IN BOTH THAI AND ENGLISH (70 Thai, 26 English): For example : With Hindsight, Heading Forward: Integrative Thai Feminist Standpoint Domestic Violence Against Women: Focusing on Masculinity and Male Perpetrators Women in the Thai Environmental Movement Lesbians and Lesbianism in Thailand

19 First Thai Feminist Journal: STANCE Yearly publication of STANCE: Thai Feminist Review, the first women s studies academic journal in Thailand The WSC launched Stance, the first feminist yearly journal in Thailand in 2007, with Thai and English articles. Brings together research findings and critical information from academics, women s groups, activists, students, and policy makers on issues relating to women, gender and development in Thailand and throughout the Greater Mekong Sub-Region.

20 The Paralegal Training Project for Rural Women in 17 provinces of northern Thailand

21 Voices of Grassroots Women and the Participation in Community Development: A Case Study of Women Paralegals in 17 Northern Provinces

22 Round-Table Forum on International Women s Day Feminism and Genderism Perspectives in Thailand Reform Friday March 7th, 2014 from , at the Conference room, 2nd floor, the Women s Studies Building, the Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University.

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24 * a film which relates to some aspect of women s experience is shown monthly * Group discussion about the issues that it raised follows

25 Not the Hind Legs of the Elephant FM MHz every Friday am The name of the radio program is adapted from Thai proverb. The proverb is Man is the fore legs of the elephant and woman is the hind legs

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27 Feminist Research Training Project

28 17-18 January 2013 Phetchaburi

29 Eliminate Inequalities, Create Social Justice to raise understanding of the Promotion of Equal Opportunity and Gender Equality Bill and to push passage of this bill

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31 ACADEMIC SEMINAR ON ENDING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN DAY GENDER IN ASIAN: VIOLENCE AND HOPE

32 Lanna women and the making of Krathong in Yeepeng Festival (Loy Krathong Festival) Making lanna flags (Tung ) in songkran festival

33 FEMINIST LEGAL THEORY AND PRACTICE (FLTP) TRAINING

34 WORKSHOP ON NORTHERN WOMEN AND NEW CONSTITUTION 2015 Proposal Drafting Constitution on Gender Equality to the Committee

35 Seminar on Bhikkhuni (Female Monk) in Thai Society

36 Women Empowerment WSC has already organized the trainings for paralegal women from 17 Northern provinces, which are now 250 trainees. It coordinates with women s groups and movements at national, regional and international levels when campaigning and advocating on women s issues. For instance, some outcome of the WSC joining the women s movement included the recognition of gender equality in the 2007 Thai Constitution and issuance of various legislations on protection of women s human rights.