State Obligation for the Promotion of Gender Equality

To promote substantive equality, and eliminate all forms of discrimination against women are State obligation according to the accession to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). State parties are responsible for submitting the progress report of CEDAW implementation every 4 years. In 2006, Thailand reported the progress to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at 34th Session in New York, U.S.A.

With reference to the abovementioned CEDAW Committee Session, the CEDAW Committee made suggestions and general recommendations based on the examination of the report, which include

• Review of all national legislations for full compliance with CEDAW articles to ensure full implementation in the national legislative system.
• Inclusion of definition of direct and indirect discrimination in national constitution and/or in the draft Gender Equality Bill, in compliance with the Article 1 of CEDAW Convention.

In addition, the Committee required State parties to provide trainings related to the essence of this convention and its optional protocol for lawyers, law practitioners, judgse, and other related parties who are parts of legislative reform and implementation. The Committee has expressed concern that though Article 30 of the Thai Constitution (2007) ensures that women and men are equal, but there is still no article that specifically identifes the term “discrimination against women” in accordance with the Article 1 of CEDAW in prohibiting discrimination against women both directly and indirectly.

In the occasion that the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) is considering the Gender Equality Bill, along with responsibilities of all sectors to reform the
country which includes the drafting of the constution, ; the National Committee on Social, Child’s Affairs, Youth, Woman, Senior Citizen, People with Disabilities, and
Disadvantaged of National Legislative Assembly; National Committee on Social, Community, Child, Youth, Woman, Senior Citizen, People with Disabilities, and
Disadvantaged Reform of National Reform Council; Commission on Law Correction and Development for Gender Equality of Law Reform Commission of
Thailand; WOMEN REFORM; Office of Women’s Affair and Family Development, Ministry of Social development and Human Security; Thai Women Watch
Association and United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) with the Support from Department of Foreign Affairs,
Trade and Development, Canada, see the importance of organizing the seminar on “State Obligation for the Promotion of Gender Equality”, in order to exchange lessons learned and experiences from the international expert on women’s human rights.

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Co-organized by:

• National Committee on Social Affairs, Children, Youth, Women, Senior Citizens, People with Disabilities, and the Disadvantaged of National Legislative Assembly (NLA);
• National Committee on Social Affairs, Communities, Children, Youth, Women, Senior Citizens, People with Disabilities, and the Disadvantaged of National Reform Council (NRC);
• Committee on Law and Development for Gender Equality of the Law Reform Commission of Thailand;
• The WOMEN REFORM Network;
• Office of Women’s Affairs and Family Development of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security;
• Thai Women’s Watch
• and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women)

with the Support from Department of Foreign Affairs,Trade and Development, Canada.