Indicator 7.1 Proportion of Women in the Parliament

 
   
Women in the Parliament  
   
• Women accounted for 10.4% of the Senate elected in 2000 for a six-year term. Women representation was highest in the North and the Northeast at 13.9% and 14.3%, respectively. No woman was elected to the Senate from the South. In the 2005 general election, women made up 11.4% of the House of Representatives, an increase from 9.3% in the 2001 general election. In both elections, women representation was lowest in the South and the Northeast. In the 2005 election, women made a stride in Bangkok with 21.6% MPs. But they accounted for only 8.7% or 21 of the 242 Members of the National Legislative Assembly appointed as temporary legislative body after the coup in September 2006.  
     
•
 Members of the Parliament by sex, and region  
   
Members of the Parliament 2000 2001 2005 2006
elected Senators % elected Members ofthe House ofRepresentatives % elected Members ofthe House ofRepresentatives % appointed Membersof the NationalLegislative Assembly %
total male female male female total male female male female total male female male female total male female male female
Whole Kingdom 222 199 23 89.64 10.36 418 379 39 90.67 9.33 405 359 46 88.64 11.36 242 221 21 91.32 8.68
Bangkok Metropolis 18 16 2 88.89 11.11 38 33 5 86.84 13.16 37 29 8 78.38 21.62 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Central Region 53 49 4 92.45 7.55 96 86 10 89.58 10.42 96 84 12 87.50 12.50 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Northern Region 43 37 6 86.05 13.95 81 72 9 88.89 11.11 80 70 10 87.50 12.50 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Northeastern Region 77 66 11 85.71 14.29 148 138 10 93.24 6.76 137 125 12 91.24 8.76 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Southern Region 31 31 0 100.00 0.00 55 50 5 90.91 9.09 55 51 4 92.73 7.27 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
 
   

Indicator 7.2 Proportion of Women in the Cabinet

  
     
• Women’s voices and viewpoints in politics are needed for a more thorough and balanced deliberation of national issues. The proportion of women in the Cabinet is an ultimate indicator of the Government’s seriousness and sincerity in women empowerment and the promotion of gender equality  
   
•
 Members of the Cabinet by sex  
   
Members of the Cabinet 2001 2005 2006
number % number % number %
total male female male female total male female male female total male female male female
Members of the Cabinet 38 36 2 94.74 5.26 36 34 2 94.44 5.56 35 32 3 91.43 8.57
 
   
 

Indicator 7.3 Proportion of Women in Political Party Executive Committees

  
     
•
 All major political parties have a policy to promote an open dialogue and more participation in policy-making, without mentioning any particular target group. In so far as women are concerned, political parties largely emphasize women protection rather than women empowerment. It is therefore important that women actively participate in political parties and the formulation of political party policy platforms.  
   
Women as political party executives  
     
• In 2007, women accounted for 11.3% of the executive committees of major political parties, an increase from 8.4% in 2005. The Thai RakThai Party was dissolved in 2006. The new party  
   
• – People Power had a large women representation in the executive committee – 16.7%, compared with another new party – Puea Pandin that had none.  
     
•
 Political party executives by sex  
   
Political party executives 2005 2007
number % number %
total male female male female total male female male female
Total 237 217 20 91.56 8.44 159 141 18 88.68 11.32
Thai Rak Thai 119 111 8 93.28 6.72 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
People Power n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 36 30 6 83.33 16.67
Democrat 49 44 5 89.80 10.20 49 44 5 89.80 10.20
Chart Thai 55 49 6 89.09 10.91 55 49 6 89.09 10.91
Mahachon 14 13 1 92.86 7.14 14 13 1 92.86 7.14
Puea Pandin n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 5 5 0 100.00 0.00
 
   

Indicator 7.4 Proportion of Women in Executive Positions in the Civil Service

  
     
• Balancing between family obligations and career is a challenge for most women, and if they have to choose, many would choose family over their career. Besides, male superiors are often skeptical about women’s leadership skills. Not having opportunities to work and socialize closely with their male superiors also places women at a disadvantage. Although Thai women have scored impressive successes in many fields, they are still way behind men at the high end of the civil service.  
   
Women in executive positions in the civil service  
   
•
 During 2002-2005, the proportion of female executives increased from 17.8% to 23.1%. The 20042006 data show that the increase took place at all levels, except at the highest level - C 11.  
   
• Executives in the civil service by sex, and level  
     
Executives in the civil service 2002 2003
number % number %
total male female male female total male female male female
Total 455 374 81 82.19 17.80 487 385 102 79.05 20.94
Permanent Secretary C 11 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Secretary-General/Director C11 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Deputy Permanent Secretary C 10 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Deputy Secretary-General/Deputy Director C 10 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Director-General, Director, Secretary-General C10 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Deputy Director-General/Deputy SecretaryGeneral/Deputy Director C 9 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
 
 
Executives in the civil service 2004 2005
number % number %
total male female male female total male female male female
Total 496 396 100 79.84 20.16 508 397 111 78.15 21.85
Permanent Secretary C 11 19 17 2 89.47 10.53 31 27 4 87.10 12.90
Secretary-General/Director C11 12 11 1 91.67 8.33 12 10 2 83.33 16.67
Deputy Permanent Secretary C 10 53 49 4 92.45 7.55 56 48 8 85.71 14.29
Deputy Secretary-General/Deputy Director C 10 44 30 14 68.18 31.82 42 25 17 59.52 40.48
Director-General, Director, Secretary-General C10 110 94 16 85.45 14.55 112 92 20 82.14 17.86
Deputy Director-General/Deputy SecretaryGeneral/Deputy Director C 9 258 195 63 75.58 24.42 267 205 62 76.78 23.22
 
     
Indicator 7.5 Proportion of Women in Local, Village, and Subdistrict Administration  
     
  Women in local, village and sub-district administration  
   
• In 2006, proportion of women in local, village and sub-district administration was only 9%. Women made up 17.4% of the BMA Assembly and District Assemblies, but they accounted for only 2.9% sub-district headmen, 4.3% village headmen and assistant village headmen. Local administration had only 11.3% female representation.  
     
•
 Executives in local, village and tambon administration by sex, and position  
     
 
Executives in local, village and tambon administration 2002 2006
number % number %
male female total male female male female total male female
Local administration (except BMA) n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 143,928 18,273 162,201 88.73 11.27
Member of the Provincial Council n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
CEO of the Provincial Administrative Organization n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Member of the Municipal Council n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Mayor n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Members of the Sub-district Administrative Organization n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
CEO of the Sub-district Administrative Organization n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration 358 61 419 85.44 14.56 342 72 414 82.61 17.39
Members of the Bangkok Metropolitan Assembly 52 9 61 85.25 14.75 49 8 57 85.96 14.04
Members of the Bangkok District Assemblies 306 52 358 85.47 14.53 293 64 357 82.07 17.93
Village and sub-district as part of the provincialadministration n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 69,553 3,001 72,554 95.86 4.14
Sub-district Headman n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 7,577 228 7,805 97.08 2.92
Village Headman, Assistant Village Headman n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 61,976 2,773 64,749 95.72 4.28
Total 358 61 419 85.44 14.56 213,823 21,346 235,169 90.92 9.08
 
•
 Voting is an exercise of a fundamental political right in a democratic society. It is also a sign of self-respect. These data should stimulate women to play a more active role in promoting participatory politics.  
   
Indicator 7.6 Proportion of WomenÊs Votes and WomenÊs Vote Turnout  
     
 

Women's votes and vote turnout

 
     
• In 2006, women outnumbered men as eligible voters, and there were more women’s votes than men’s in both the senatorial and general elections. Women’s and men’s vote turnout rates were very close, at 65.9% and 65% respectively. Women’s vote turnout was slightly higher than men’s at the senatorial election at 63.2% and 61.4%, respectively.  
     
 
Voters and vote turnouts 2006
number % vote turnout (%)
total male female male female male female
1. Eligible voters 44,064,373 21,372,206 22,692,167 48.50 51.50 n.a. n.a.
eligible voters (party list/constituency) in 62 provinces in the general election 35,100,446 16,875,030 18,219,401 48.08 51.91 n.a. n.a.
eligible voters in 74 provinces in the senatorial election 43,688,764 21,146,025 22,535,578 48.40 51.58 n.a. n.a.
2. Vote turnouts n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
party list (62 provinces) 22,981,483 10,972,470 12,000,338 47.74 52.22 65.02 65.87
constituency (62 provinces) 22,981,464 10,972,706 12,000,327 47.75 52.22 65.02 65.87
senatorial (74 provinces) 27,354,685 12,993,772 14,240,485 47.50 52.06 61.45 63.19
 
• Female executives in the civil service still lack the confidence and trust of their superiors. Leadership training helps enhance the management skills of both men and women. It has become an important capacity development tool to spearhead the change management outlined by the public sector reform plan.  
     
  Female government officials in leadership training  
     
• Although more female government officials have made their way to the high-level executive level, the proportion of female government officials in the leadership training was very low especially during 2004-2005. The share of female trainees dropped almost by half from the 2002-2003 period. The situation improved markedly in 2006. But the share of female trainees was still less than 10% in the NDC executive programme.  
     
• Government officials in leadership training by sex  
     
 
Government officials in leadershiptraining 2002 2003 2004
number % number % number %
total male female male female total male female male female total male female male female
trainees in OCSC high-level executiveprogramme 57 38 19 66.67 33.33 192 134 58 69.79 30.21 186 138 48 74.19 25.81
trainnes in KPI executive programme 370 179 191 48.38 51.62 460 176 284 38.26 61.74 435 315 120 72.41 27.59
trainnes in NDC executive programme 99 90 9 90.91 9.09 99 93 6 93.94 6.06 99 95 4 95.96 4.04
Total 526 307 219 58.37 41.63 751 403 348 53.66 46.34 720 548 172 76.11 23.89
 
 
Government officials in leadershiptraining 2005 2006 2007
number % number % number %
total male female male female total male female male female total male female male female
trainees in OCSC high-level executiveprogramme 250 167 83 66.80 33.20 248 160 88 64.52 35.48 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
trainnes in KPI executive programme 410 286 124 69.76 30.24 446 191 255 42.83 57.17 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
trainnes in NDC executive programme 101 92 9 91.09 8.91 102 92 10 90.20 9.80 107 99 8 92.52 7.48
Total 761 545 216 71.62 28.38 796 443 353 55.65 44.35 107 99 8 92.52 7.48