A Safe Journey with Her

Around 500 people joined us for a morning of empowerment and solidarity and hopped on their bicycles to tour around the idyllic Wachira Benchathat Park (Suan Rod Fai) and to kick-off the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence in Thailand.

The organisation of the event was led this year by the Embassy of Luxembourg, in close collaboration with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, UN Women and UNFPA as well as the Embassies of Belgium and The Netherlands.

It was a “collective march towards justice and healing and a pledge that every woman and girl, survivor or victim of violence, will not walk alone,” declared Ms Gita Sabharwal, UN 🇺🇳 Resident Coordinator in Thailand.

The event takes place against a backdrop of sobering statistics. Ambassador Patrick Hemmer recalled that according to the latest UN research figures, more than 133 women or girls are killed every day by someone in their own home. “Let me be clear, there can be no equality until women and girls are safe in their own homes,” he concluded.

An open-air exhibition featured stories from champions across Bangkok and Thailand who dedicate their lives to prevention, response and reporting services, and will remain in the park until the 10th of December. It not only shows the diversity of services available but hopes to increase their accessibility by providing practical contact information. 

Have a look at the full online publication here.

We were also honoured by the presence of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security Mr. Anukul Peedkaew who highlighted some of Thailand’s policy and priorities to end violence against women and girls. An open conversation among representatives from a One Stop Crisis Center, the Child and Youth Council of Thailand as well as a human rights lawyer and advocate untangle some of the root causes of gender-based violence and potential solutions.

Check out the dedicated UN Women website for the full photo album.