02 April 2014 - The Philippine Embassy in Bangkok through its Gender and Development (GAD) Program, conducted a Women’s Empowerment Seminar at the Philippine Embassy Conference Room on March 28 in celebration of the International Women’s Month.

In his opening remarks, Minister and Consul General Edgar Badajos noted that the number of female overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) worldwide is now almost equal to the total number of male OFWs. He said that this “femininization” of labor migration has called for labor-sending governments like the Philippines to adopt and implement programs raising awareness among female OFWs of their rights as foreign and female migrant workers.

The first talk was given by Atty. Cynthia Pornavalai, a partner at Tilleke and Gibbins Law Firm. She discussed Thai laws and policies which affect the rights of women, and of Foreign Migrant Workers in Thailand. She also touched on relevant international conventions guaranteeing the rights of women migrant workers and their families. The second speaker, Ms. Phylis Clomata, President of the Organization of Filipino Educators in Southern Thailand, shared her experiences both as a leader and a member of the Filipino community in the province of Yala in Southern Thailand. Yala is one of three provinces in Thailand’s so-called “Deep South” with a serious insurgency problem. (The other provinces are Narathiwat and Pattani.) Ms. Clomata has been working in Yala for twelve (12) years. The two speakers’ presentations were followed by a lively open forum on problems frequently encountered by female OFWs, especially those in the teaching profession, in Thailand.

The Women’s Empowerment Seminar is the first activity of the Gender and Development Program of the Embassy for the year 2014. At the end of the activity, several participants echoed their appreciation for the conduct of an activity centered on women, and expressed interest in participating in future events or follow-up activities.  END