Abortion law in Thailand is very ambiguous, and as a result, I do most of my work helping women access safe abortion care out of the public eye. At a recent workshop, I responded to public requests for information on safe abortion by first confronting my own fears.
If we intend to develop policies that are fair and just, we must collaborate with sex workers themselves to afford them the dignity that they and all of us deserve. It’s time for sex workers’ rights to be an integrated part of the global human rights agenda.
Sex for money might take just five minutes. But what about the rest of the 7 hours and 55 minutes of a sex worker’s day? What does she do, who does she see, and how is she treated? At AWID 2012, an interactive game provided insights into these overlooked questions.
Weekly global roundup: “virginity test” doctor is acquitted in Egypt while women’s football gathers momentum; condoms may literally save South Africa; a rosier picture of sex work in Thailand; journalist threatened for exposing female genital cutting in Liberia; and a steamy drama series in Kenya tackles sexual taboos.
Sex for young girls in Thailand is a very controversial topic, obstructed in discussion by the belief that a girl should be extremely careful about her manner, behavior, and reputation.
Thai police recently announced that they had rescued 14 Vietnamese women, aged 19 to 26, from a criminal “baby breeding” ring.
Pelosi speaks out on the anti-choice assault on women’s rights, a Thai airline seeks to hire transgender women as flight attendants, women use less epidural anesthesia during labor when they control their own pain relief, and a heart-breaking attack on women’s shelters in Afghanistan.
During a time when “condom,” “prevention,” and “safer sex” had become dirty words in Washington, DC, the Thais brought with them their unique approach to condoms: Make them fun, colorful, obvious, available, destigmatized, everywhere. Now they are opening an official condom museum, and they are way ahead of us.
In Thailand, innovative HIV prevention advocates engage the community by emphasizing sexual diversity, conducting religious outreach, and involving community members in research.
Microbicides may be a potential solution for women to control their sexual health, but accessibility, women's inequality and other issues must be addressed for this to be an effective preventative method in Thailand.
