Mixed Progress for Thai Women in Meeting Development Goals, UN Finds

BANGKOK, Thailand—Women in Thailand enjoy better reproductive health than 10 years ago, thanks to policies recognizing the links between health and poverty alleviation. Maternal mortality has fallen sharply and fertility has continued to decline, according to a United Nations report launched on World Population Day.

But violence against women and gaps in health coverage pose significant challenges to attaining gender equality, the report adds. While the number of women coming to crisis centres is growing, gender-based violence is not sufficiently recognized or addressed.

Reproductive health services reach more people but still do not adequately cover ethnic minorities, migrants, young people or older women. For women and girls in the sex trade, weak access to information and services increases the risk of HIV infection. The Government’s “30-Baht Health Scheme”, a subsidized programme, has improved access for the poor, but family planning choices are limited.

These are among the findings of Reproductive Health of Women in Thailand: Progress and Challenges Towards Attainment of International Development Goals, released today by the East and South-east Asia office of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. The assessment contributes to a global review of efforts to attain the Millennium Development Goals for 2015, including goals for poverty reduction, gender equality, maternal health and HIV/AIDS.

Other conclusions include: 

• Thai women actively participate in the labour force, but they are concentrated in agriculture, service industries and the informal sector.

• Educational equality between boys and girls has largely been attained. School curricula have not completely eliminated gender stereotypes, however, and sex education is not integrated.

• Women are under-represented in political life, but their participation is growing.

• More male involvement is needed to realize reproductive health goals.

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UNFPA supports reproductive health and population programmes in over 140 developing countries including Thailand. The Bangkok-based Country Technical Services Team for East and South-east Asia serves countries in the subregion.

Contact Information:

William A. Ryan
Tel.: +66 2 288 2446
Cell Phone: +66 89 897 6984
Email: ryanw@unfpa.org