Thai PM to support development of women's roles

BANGKOK, March 8 (TNA) - On the occasion of the International Women's Day, which falls on every March 8, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has affirmed that her government will continue supporting the development of women's roles and their participation in the society to create equality between men and women. During her speech in Bangkok on Friday marking the International Women's Day 2013, Yingluck invited the general public to laud steady progress and development of women around the world, resulting in more women in several countries having now stood in the leadership sphere, namely newly-elected President Park Geun-hye, South Korea's first female top leader. As for Thailand, where a disparity in opportunities between men and women has remained and a number of women have become victims of abuse and violence in several forms but a small number of them have secured leadership status, Premier Yingluck acknowledged that her government has, thus, included a mission on building up equality between men and women in the Thai society in a national development strategy, aimed to also ease the poverty problem in the country. Over the past year or so, the prime minister noted, the Thai government has pushed for a solid policy on women, including setting up the women empowerment fund to develop women's roles, providing assistance to women and the underprivileged falling victims of abuse and violence and boosting women's potential in leadership to be contributed to national development in all dimensions. Premier Yingluck expressed confidence that her government should be able to look after women in all Thai sectors, which should lead to an end of mistreatment of women in the society, urging people in all sectors to adopt a common attitude of respecting human dignity and values, including those of women and the underprivileged. (TNA)