Abstract
This study aims to examine the capacity of civic groups that work on issues related with violence against women and children from the macro and micro levels. The scope of the study covers the situational analysis on civic groups that work on issue related with violence against women and children covering their origin, concepts, principles, development, roles, and patterns. The study also focuses on factors that promote or inhibit their potential to be effective. The analysis of the civic group’s capacity is done according to three components of civic groups including civic consciousness, civic organization, and civic network which considering socio-cultural, economic and political context at the global, regional, country and community levels. This study has utilized qualitative, documentary and case study research designs. The research methods used are mapping, documentary review, internet search, telephone interview, in-depth interviews, focus group discussion, key-informant interviews, and observation. Data analysis is based on concepts of civil society, feminism and critical theory.We found that there are 89 civic groups that work on the issue related with violence against women. They are Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations, media, radio stations, and business enterprises. The concepts used for their motivation are human rights, women’s rights, child’s rights, and gender mainstreaming. The strategies they use are based on community-based, integrative and interdisciplinary approaches. Their work covers policy formulation, advocacy, legal reform, societal campaigns for attitude change, prevention and providing support systems that are women-centered and gender-sensitive as well as helping battered women to return to live in society with dignity.Factors that influence the capacity of NGO civic groups that are working experience, development approach, the women’s movement at the global level, policy and support from the government. Factors that influence the capacity of community-based programs are social structure and cultural system of the community, which includes patriarchy system, kinship system, seniority system, patron-client relations, social class, political system at different level and the bias toward the respect for the formal political structure. An important factor is the community belief of the myth that violence against women is a private issue, not a societal issue. These factors promote or obstruct civic groups in working on issues related with violence against women and children. Moreover, the processes by which various NGOs support communities to work on this issue influence the capacity of civic group at the grass root level, especially the processes of raising community awareness and mobilizing various groups of community members to work on the issue.Recommendations at the Policy LevelWorking on issues related with violence against women and children requires working together on issues related to structural violence Campaigning against violence against women and children at the societal level requires an emphasis on the concept that: 1) violence against women and children is gender-based violence; 2) violence against women and children is not a private, but a public matter; 3) battered women and children have a right to life and to live without violence as well as to seek helpIn order to work on the issue of violence against women and children, we should integrate our work on this issue with other social problems that occur in the communities. This is because most social problems share the same root causes and they are connected to each other. For example, the campaign on the issue of violence against women and children should be done together with campaigns on HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, and unwanted pregnancy among the youth. The campaign should based on a gender perspective, which will help us to be able to successfully solve the root causes of these problems To determine principles regarding rights, welfare or safety of community members in order to support civic groups that work at the community levelTo promote other civil societies to work on issues of violence against women and children such as the taxi network, business women’s groups in various provinces, media, press, advertisement enterprise, creative companies and radio stations.Recommendations at the Community Level Principles: To mobilize community members to work on the issue of violence against women and children is to work with every sector in the community including village leaders, volunteers, and all other community members, both men and women. An effort must be made to close the gap of knowledge among community members and raise the potential of both males and females, leaders and non-leadersTo form a civil society on the issue of violence against women, we should start with getting the community to analyze their own views regarding gender-based violence including situation, magnitude, forms, types, myths etc. This should include an attempt to raise consciousness on the relationship between patriarchy and violence against womenTo work on community-based programs require the networking of other organizations in both the private and government sectors. These sectors require clear and specific tasks and roles that complement each otherTo form civil society on violence against women, we should utilize the social and cultural capital that exists in the community, i.e. various forms social relations existing in the community.Strategies:To form a civil society on violence against women, we should start work with persons who have a clear understanding of gender issues and persons who are most concerned with working for societal benefit. We can organize community-based programs on violence against women with both types of people, which is considered social capital for us. However, we should try to change the consciousness from the non-gender one to gender perspectiveTo create a strong awareness of the gender-based violence problem, the stage of problem analysis by the community members and the mobilization of broad-based participation from different groups of community members are important community awareness-raising. We should thoroughly consider the community’s views on violence, socio-cultural context that promotes or inhibits community participation and the formation of civil society to address violence against womenTo create an awareness needed to form civil society for violence against women is to deconstruct and reconstruct the consciousness and myths related with gender-based violence. The process of deconstruction and reconstruction can utilize both formal and informal methods including formal training by volunteers and chatting in everyday life conversation. Gender issues must be embedded in content of the messageTo do awareness raising on gender-based violence problem, to deconstruct the production and reproduction of patriarchy and myths related with violence against women that exist in Thai society is important. The deconstruction process should also involve the production of new set of knowledge on women and gender system, including roles of women in the family and society, human right and gender equalityTo expand the network among various civic groups by sharing and exchanging the working experiences regularly is the key mechanism to strengthen the potential of civil groups to work for violence issue.
