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