Resident Coordinator’s Remarks at the A SAFE JOURNEY WITH HER event

Governor Chadchart,

Distinguished ambassadors,

Esteemed partners,

UN colleagues,

guests and friends.

It is my pleasure to join you today for this extremely meaningful event as we continue working to ensure that girls, women and people of all genders can enjoy fulfilling lives safe from discrimination and violence.

Many of you here have been champions of this important cause and today’s event provides us with an excellent opportunity to come together, exchange views and raise awareness in a collegial atmosphere.

The event’s theme “a safe journey with her” speaks to our collective ambition to stand by every woman, girl or victim of violence so they will never have to walk alone through their lives.

Governor Chadchart, let me thank you for championing this crucial agenda. Your leadership and close partnership with the UN have been truly inspirational and we look forward to continuing to work with you.

I would also like to thank Ambassadors Hemmer, van Wijngaarden and de Cartier d'Yves for their partnerships with the UN on behalf of their governments to promote gender equality in Thailand and the region.

Let me take this opportunity to introduce Mr. Pio Smith, regional director UNFPA, and Ms. Alia El-Yassir, regional director of UN Women, who are standing here with me.

As you know, this is the first of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, which summons us to take collective actions.

Data show that Thailand is making progress on gender-based violence. However, it is still an acute problem with many cases going unreported.

A newly published UNICEF survey tells us that women in poorer households with lower levels of educational attainment tend to face higher levels of domestic violence.

Besides poverty, substance abuse and untreated mental health problems are also drivers of such violence.

In addition, the digital world has given rise to new forms of gender-based intimidation and harassment against women and girls.

These findings provide us with an urgency to act.

What makes the situation even more challenging is that many women seem to think domestic violence against them is acceptable.

Women with less education are especially prone to hold such views with almost twice as many of the poorest women thinking domestic violence is justified as women who are better-off financially.

There are also regional differences with violence against women especially prominent in certain provinces.

This points to lingering social norms of male dominance that we will need to eradicate through improving education and raising awareness.

A similarly bleak picture prevails across Asia and the Pacific where rates of violence against women remain higher than the global average.

We need to act and act now as time is running out.

Eliminating gender-based violence is a core part of the SDGs, yet even as we are at the halfway mark to the 2030 Agenda violence against women and girls persist at alarming rates.

We need comprehensive solutions, including robust legislation, improved law enforcement, better prevention strategies, and scaling up essential services for victims of violence.

All these are within our reach if we continue deepening partnerships between the government, private sector, civil society and the UN system for boosting financial commitments and revamping policies.

Behind the dire statistics are individuals whose lives are blighted by discrimination and violence.  

By scaling up investments in prevention and gender equality, we can not only save these individuals but transform entire societies.

Civil society and champions of women’s rights have been making great contributions to this agenda despite their limited resources.

Today’s photo exhibition shows us portraits and testimonials of these champions offering critically important services to survivors of violence.

These images testify to the indomitable spirit of victims and those who work to prevent gender-based violence.

We can learn from their dedication as we will continue working together to eradicate gender-based violence once and for all in Thailand and the region.

During today’s bicycle trip, we will set the wheels of progress in motion on this critical agenda.

Let me wish you all a safe journey on our joint outing as we move forward in forging a path towards a world without discrimination and violence.

Thank you.