THAILAND'S WOMAN OF COURAGE NOMINATION

UNCLAS BANGKOK 000866 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR G/IWI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KWMN PHUM PREL KPAO SUBJECT: THAILAND'S WOMAN OF COURAGE NOMINATION REF: STATE 12871 ¶1. Per reftel request, post nominates Professor Virada Somswasdi as Thailand's nominee for the Secretary's "International Women of Courage" award: Name: Virada Somswasdi Title: Director Institution: Women's Studies Center, Chiang Mai University Date of Birth: July 23, 1947 Tel: 66-53-943-572 Fax: 66-53-219-245 Cell: 66-1-812-7127 Email: virada@chiangmai.ac.th ¶2. A leading advocate for women's studies and gender equality in Thailand, Virada founded the Women's Studies Center at Chiang Mai University, the first program of its kind that offers master's degrees in women's studies. Since its initial inception in 1986, the Women's Studies Center was officially established in 1993 and is now widely recognized as a major resource center for feminist perspectives on law, human rights and development. ¶3. A graduate of Cornell Law School, Virada is also the President of the Foundation for Women, Law and Rural Development. Besides this, Virada presented papers at UNESCO on women's studies and its significance in 2003 and delivered the Asia-Pacific Caucus Statement at the 45th Session of United Nation Commission on the Status of Women in 2001. From 2002 - 2005, Professor Virada also spoke at the Cornell Law School Berger International Speaker Series. Topics included "The Women's Movement in Legal Reform in Thailand", "Legalization of Prostitution in Thailand: A Challenge to Feminism" and "Power of Law: Women's Presence in the Thaksin Era." BOYCE