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The Land and Its People
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The Role of Women in Thai Society
Thai women have traditionally
been responsible for far more than
management of the household. They
worked alongside the men in the rice
fields, took an active part in family
decisions, and occasionally helped
defend the country in times of warfare.
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Sawasdee Kha
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At present they are playing a much wider
role in modem factories and business
enterprises, as well as in the government.
According to a survey made by the
National Statistical Office in 1992. out
of 32.9 million Thais aged above 13
years old in the labour force. 15.2 million
(46.1%) were females doing the same
sort of work as their male counterparts. Of
these most were in the agricultural
sector, while the rest were in manufacturing
areas. In many of the leading export
industries such as gems and jewellery,
textiles and garments, electrical and
electronic products, and agro-industrial
foods, it was reported that women workers
outnumbered men four to one. Women
are also prominent in the tourism industry,
education, banking, and health services.
Thai women were among the first
in Asia to acquire equal rights under
the constitution. They serve at almost
every level of the government, from
working in various ministries to holding
cabinet posts, and in 1993 the first
woman became governor of a province.
Although problems still confront
Thai women who work inequality
to men in some job opportunities and
lack of security in industrial work are
only two their importance in the
economic and social life of the country
cannot be ignored.
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