Demanding equal rights for both sexes. Up to 1000 women and men representing 43 different organisations walked the streets of Bangkok Monday morning. They met at the Royal Plaza and marched in procession to the Government House.
The 8th of March is International Women’s Day and the demonstration is a annual event, this year the focus was on mothers’ rights according to the ILO article 183, and the right to organize in labour unions according to ILO article 87 and 98.
“Women’s rights, mother’s rights are human rights”, “Government has to support and protect mother’s rights”, and “When men and women are equal society is good,” were just some of the slogans this year.
Global solidarity
Women’s International Day is marked all over the world, as demonstrations are planned all over the world. Also in Scandinavian where the idea of an annual international event to mark the fight for women’s rights begun 100 years ago.
This year the majority of the people in the demonstration in Bangkok did wear orange t-shirt and caps. Because LO-Norway, the Norwegian workers union support SERC, a big labour union in Thailand in their fight for women’s rights in Thailand.
Both women and men
Women at the demonstration out numbered the men. But one of the men at the demonstration was Thinnakarn Bualek, a member of Electricians Union in Thailand.
“I am here to support the mother’s rights and to support the fight to stop privatisation in Thailand.”
One of the women demonstrating was Preeyaphon Jitpech, also a member of the Electricians Union, she thinks that International Women’s Day is an important opportunity to ask for women’s rights:
“In Thailand the workers get fired if they organize in strong unions. It is worst in the private sector, but it also happens in the public sector.”
In Scandinavia unions and the women’s movement is also demanding equal rights for men and women celebrating the 100 years anniversary of International Women’s Day.
Read also: 8th of March is International Women’s Day
