Goal 16

A national survey on experiences of discrimination and social attitudes towards LGBT people in Thailand

There is a lack of comprehensive research on attitude toward LGBT people and challenges they face, making it difficult for advocates, development partners and policy makers to promote effective policies and make informed decisions. To address this the ‘Being LGBTI in Asia’ UNDP program, which is aimed at advancing the well-being of LGBTI people and reducing inequality and marginalization on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, supported a study in collaboration with Love Frankie and AIT. This national study examined the experiences of and social attitudes towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. It involved a survey with 2,210 participants from across the country, including 1,349 LGBT people and 861 non-LGBT people, and focus group discussions in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phitsanulok and Pattani. The study found that there are overall favourable attitudes towards LGBT people in Thailand and significant support for inclusive laws and policies, but also persistent experiences of stigma and discrimination, violence and exclusion.

Keywords LGBT, SOGIE, Gender Equality, Thailand

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What is Essential is Invisible’: Empowerment and Security in Economic Projects for Low-Income Women in Four Mekong Countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam)

This research project, using both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, focused on women’s economic empowerment and social protection projects in four Mekong countries: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam. It involved an exploration of the gaps between the level of policy makers and intended beneficiaries in terms of their conceptions of the ideas of empowerment and security and their perceptions of what is happening on the ‘ground’. In addition, the research examined under what conditions empowerment (as locally defined) and an increase in a sense of security (again, as locally defined) came as a result of economic empowerment and social protection projects, and under what conditions there was no such apparent benefit – or even negative effects – in spite of the well-meaning intentions of the projects. One key finding is that empowerment is not a single recipe, it needs to be contextualized, and that for a large number of low income women in the four countries, empowerment was a social or relational process, an aspect of empowerment often neglected by donors and development practitioners.

Keywords Economic Empowerment, Income, Gender, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam

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Understanding Barriers and Working Pathways to Women’s Political Participation In Myanmar

The aim of the project is to assess the extent and forms of women’s participation in the political sphere in Myanmar, and explore barriers and enabling factors. We define participation beyond just actions that influence or support governments to taking part in collective decision-making in a broad sense. Previous research has demonstrated low levels of women’s representation in national, subnational, and community governance, and explored the social and cultural norms that bar women from taking leadership roles.1 This research will extend these insights to analyze the pathways to participation across multiple levels of governance: (1) National parliament, political parties, and social movements; (2) State/Division parliaments, government offices; and (3) District, township, and village groups. Using the concept of pathways will allow us to utilize and study women’s personal path to political power, to understand what can undermine at any point upward mobility in the political system and what can facilitate or provide entry points or further engagement at different moments in a woman’s life.

Keywords Gender, Political Participation, Equality, Myanmar

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Training Program on Disaster Risk Management and Governance

The Training Program on Disaster Risk Management and Governance aims to increase efficiency in disaster preparedness, mitigation and management to minimize the loss of life and properties in disaster or emergency situations. During the training workshop we will deliver case studies and best practices from international perspectives through the international trainers followed by the field study visit.

Keywords Disaster, Risk Management, Governance, SFDRR

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International Symposium on Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development

The International Symposium on “Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development” is one of the initiatives of ProSPER.Net project “Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development Education Network in Asia” lead by Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand along with the partner universities in the Asia Pacific Region. The symposium will also provide an opportunity to develop a Higher Educational Institution Platform on DRR to address the cross-cutting issues on Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development and also understanding regional challenges that result from complex problems generated by natural hazards and human induced threats.

Keywords Sustainable Development, Disaster Risk Reduction, SFDRR, resilience

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Capacity Building through Curriculum Development, Conduct Various Trainings for Provincial and District Disaster Management Authorities and Line Department Government Officials

The Sindh Resilience Project, with the Sindh Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), signed a contract with the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) on 28th June 2019, to execute a project “Capacity Building through Curriculum Development, Conduct Various Training programs and workshops for Provincial and District Disaster Management Authorities and Line Department Government Officials”, funded by The World Bank.

Keywords: DRR, Capacity development

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