ANNUAL REPORT 2006 Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women (APSW) 2006 was another exciting year for APSW.

Many signs for positive gains for women children were witnessed during 2006 and APSW was a part of those efforts.

One highlight of the year was in November 2006 when Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali graciously presided over the Voice of Women Project initiated by Cosmopolitan Magazine to raise funds for the Emergency Home. The event was launched at the APSW, and the campaign was to prevent violence against women where attractive red whistles were promoted. The whistle was a symbol of both the scream for help and a self defense instrument. At the event, a Photo Voice exhibition, supported by the Norwegian Women and Family Association, was displayed. The impressive exhibition had 20 Emergency Home members reflecting their view through photos they personally took

Another important event was the opening of the multi-purpose youth center in Takua Pa District, one of the worst hit Tsunami affected areas by HRH Princess Soamsawali on 28 February. The construction of the building was supported by Unilever Australasia Foundation with the aim to provide space for youth activities under the Teens for Teens Project. The project forms one component of the program of the Learning for Healing Center which is catered for children and youth affected by Tsunami, targeting at teenagers from 13-18 years of age. The launching of the project was presided over by Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden and HRH Princess Soamsawali on 18 February 2005.

The project worked with 10 schools where selected students are trained as youth leaders in a series of training ensures that teen issues reach out to the targeted youth. It could be expected that future risks of drug abuse, teen prostitution and pregnancy as well as teen violence are diminished through constructive activities and supportive environment.

EMERGENCY HOME The Emergency Home, through its social workers and psychologists, provides temporary shelter, food, physical and mental rehabilitation, counseling, and life skills for women and children. Hot line services for consultation on women’s reproductive health problems and others are also offered The Emergency operates 24 hours each day. On any given day, there are about 150 women and children sheltering at the Emergency Home.

Programs and Activities in 2006

1. Number of women and children seeking help
The Emergency Home served 2,122 women and children in 2006. Among these, 546 cases sought shelter, 56 came only for counseling and 1,576 persons received hotline counseling services.

2. Profile of women and children at the Emergency Home
Unwanted pregnancy
Assistance was given to 138 pregnant women. Of these, 34 were below 18 years old. The main reasons for unwanted pregnancy were abandonment by their partner, followed by rapes mostly by acquaintances or those known to them.

HIV/ AIDS cases
There were 20 women seeking help during 2006. The majority contracted it from their partners. Among these there was one 3 year old who contracted it from her mother.

Domestic Violence
Domestic violence cases numbered 65. The majority of the cases were physical abuse by partners.

Rape cases
Thirty three victims sought help from our Kanitnaree Center or the Rape Crisis Rehabilitation Center, 22 were students aged 13 – 18. Among these, 21 cases led to pregnancy.

3. Problems consulted through hotline services

The problems consulted through telephone services centered around unwanted pregnancy, abortion and extramarital affairs problems.

4. Other services / activities provided to the women and children

Apart from the main services offered which include accommodation and food, health care, psychological and emotional rehabilitation ,individual and group counseling, the Emergency Home also conducted a large number of problem specific awareness raising, training sessions and group activities for its members. These included :
• Skill building on emotional handling
• Strengthening understanding on reproductive health and rights
• Awareness raising on women’s legal rights
• Music and art therapeutic activities
• Prenatal and postnatal care and child development
• Child rights
• Preventive sessions for sexual abuse

Special rehabilitation care was provided for some selected cases through the volunteer psychiatrists and medical doctors.

5. Follow-ups

Follow-up was made to 183 cases who had left the Emergency Home to ensure that they adapt appropriately and to determine if they can stand on their own feet and to further assist if required. 24 home visits to HIV cases were made during the year.

CHILDREN’S HOME
The Children’s Home looks after the children aged 2 – 6, who accompany their mothers sheltered at the Emergency Home as well as those who are victims of violence and abandonment.

In 2006, there were 65 children, 29 boys and 36 girls, who received care from Children’s Home. On average, each day there were about 15 – 20 children under care.

NURSERY
Nursery provides temporary care for infants of the Emergency Home members which can be classified into two categories. The first group consists of infants whose mothers decide to raise them on their own but need some help at the initial stage while they are settling in their job and their life. The second group are infants whose mothers decide to put them up for adoption. The Nursery takes care of these children at the initial stage of adoption process.

In 2006, there were 121 infants taken care by the Nursery. Twenty three were sent to the adoption center while the remaining stayed temporarily.

Support of the World Childood Foundtion

Assistance to the under eighteen years old members of the Emergency Home through different projects was specially provided by the World Childhood Foundation.

WOMEN’S EDUCATION AND TRAINING CENTER

Women’s Education and Training Center offers opportunities for enrollment in the non-formal education programs at elementary and secondary levels, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. Vocational skills training in different fields is offered all through the year. All these services are for both the Emergency Home members and for the general public. The special feature of the programs offered by the Center is that information regarding women’s issues is integrated in all the programs. The purpose is to raise their awareness on the problems women face and what the APSW does to lessen them.

Programs / Activities in 2005

1. Short term vocational training
Vocational training courses that were offered lasted from 15 – 200 hours. There were altogether 18 courses including hairdressing, dressmaking, massage, computer, baking and cooking among others. Among 800 trainees, 89 were from the Emergency Home. The remaining were interested people from the communities mainly within the vicinity. The training which was exclusively for the Emergency Home members and continually supported by the Norwegian Women and Family Association was Nurse Aid for Child Care.

2. Adult education programs

The Center collaborates with the Non-formal Education Department of the Ministry of Education and provides adult education programs for adults over 16 years old. The programs were at primary and secondary school levels, with 8 and 129 students enrolled respectively.

3. Follow-up on vocational training students

Follow-ups were conducted on students completed the training and it was found that 80 percent of those completed the training were able to apply the skills in their jobs. Those undergoing training on Nurse Aids for Child Care were offered jobs soon after their completion. There were 15 hairdressing students opening their own salon.

YOUTH CENTER

Youth Center is another major activity of the APSW. Established almost a decade ago, the Center caters for activities for youth in the vicinity of the APSW as a means to instill in them proper attitudes towards gender equality, social responsibility and abstinence from drugs and alcohol. Among the APSW youth activities that have been organized include youth camps and training youth leaders in the area of reproductive health and rights through working with schools in Bangkok. The latest youth program that has been launched since 2002 is the provision of reproductive health information and reproductive rights awareness raising activities as well as counseling in reproductive health matters through Teen House, the Resource Center for Reproductive Health and Reproductive Rights among adolescents. The Teen House is situated in the downtown area of Bangkok.

Project : The World Starts with Me : Life skills with a focus on sexual and
reproductive health

The Youth Center completed the first year of the new project, the World Starts With Me, through the support of the World Population Foundation.

The project was a continuation from the Project on Informed Choices on Reproductive Health for Adolescents supported by the World Population Foundation. The evaluation and feedback from the 60 schools that APSW was working with showed that one of the main obstacles in sex education are the lack of teaching materials as well as the methods of teaching. The project was conceived out of such findings. The computer base curriculum “ The World Starts with Me”, developed for Uganda teenagers by the World Population Foundation has been adopted. The modification to suit the Thai context was carried out by a team of teachers and students from 6 schools under the jurisdiction of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. 20006 saw the launching of the program in 6 pilot schools.

To ensure effective piloting, a series of intensive teachers training and youth team leaders were conducted throughout the year by Jo Reinder, Technical expert from the World Population Foundation. Positive preliminary evaluation resulted in expansion to another 14 schools in 2550.

Project : Teens for teens (project in Tsunami affected area)

The youth team had a busy schedule for the year as the Teens for Teens Project entered its second year. The project under the support of the World Childhood Foundation worked with 10 schools and the focus was on sexual and reproductive health and rights, modeled after the project carried out in Bangkok schools. The Unilever Australasia Foundation was also keen on supporting youth activities and supported the construction of the Youth Center, which started in September 2005. The Youth Center is a multipurpose building and is located in the compound of Bangmuang Subdistrict Organization. HRH Princess Soamsawali graciously presided the opening of the building in February 2006.

Throughout the year, various activities were conducted for the target students. Apart from training in sexual and reproductive health, some other skills enhancement including project writing, facilitating skills, environmental concerns and computer /internet training were also made available.

Project : Youth advocacy skills development

Thirty youth leaders from different Bangkok schools were trained in advocacy skills. Street plays to raise community awareness were the main activity. The youth composed their own plot and performed at various functions and sites. The project was supported by the World Childhood Foundation.

GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Gender and Development Research Institute (GDRI) is the research arm of the APSW. Established 15 years ago, the Gender and Development Research Institute carries out action research on policy issues including advocacy to advance the status of women and to promote gender equality

Programs / Activities in 2006

1. International Women’s Week Event
The event, organized on 29 February and 1 March 2005, comprised two parts.
The first part was the award presentation ceremony in which 11 outstanding women and two outstanding organizations received the Prime Ministers’ plaques for their outstanding contribution to the national development and for women’s cause. These awardees later shared their experiences in discussion sessions. The second part featured a panel discussion on Women and Senatorial Election to enable senatorial candidates to get information on women’s concerns from grassroots leaders. The event was participated by about 1,000 government officials, NGO representatives, academics and women leaders, women and men from communities in Bangkok and different regions of the country and the media.

2. Continuing campaign for amendment of subdistrict organization legislation GDRI continued unabatedly in the signature campaign to impose a 50 percent quota on the sub-district organization members who represent the villagers. It proposed that the villagers represented hould be one woman and one man.

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND FUND RAISING

Public Relations

Dissemination of news and information on the activities of the APSW to the media was carried out regularly. Case studies from the Emergency Home were sent to 14 popular magazines to provide lessons learned to the readers. Exhibitions were also organized on numerous occasions e.g.; International Women’s Day, Stop Violence Month Campaign, Mother’s Day, and other specially organized functions.

Fund Raising

1. Donation boxes

There were 638 donation boxes placed at different places in Bangkok and some provinces. These include banks, which account for about one third of the boxes, government offices, hospitals and corporate/business enterprises. The remaining were boxes installed in state enterprises, educational institutions and hotels.

2. Postal campaigns

There were two main target groups in the postal campaigns. One group included organizations in the corporate and business sector. The other were those whose birthdays are known to us. In this latter case, birthday greetings would be sent to them and suggestions on ways to celebrate birthdays at the APSW were made. Returns from these postal campaigns on average was about 4 percent and the revenue representing about 3 percent of the total donation received.

3. Charitable activities /fund-raising by donors

Funds were raised by many organizations for APSW. Among those included Cosmopolitan Magazine who launched a special project to campaign for prevention of violence against women. Their project saw an active collaboration of 14 organizations, raising funds through sale of attractive red woman symbol whistles. The campaign was well publicised and 100,000 whistles were quickly sold out. Proceeds from the sale of whistles were for the Emergency Home. The launching of the project was presided over by HRH Princess Soamsawali at the APSW.

The Siam Cement Group this year, organized their funds presentation ceremony at the APSW. Apart from APSW which received 1 million baht support, there were other 15 organizations getting support from the Group.

VISITS AND SUPPORT TO THE APSW

1. Visits

Visits to the APSW by interested parties included 104 groups of 2,582 persons which can be classified as follows:

Categories	Number of groups	Number of persons
Students (Thai) Non-students (Thai) Non-students (Foreign) Total	55 33 16 104	1,357 1,096 129 2,582

2. Students undergoing practical training and volunteers

Seventy students from 6 different educational institutions underwent practical training at the Emergency Home. There were 6 Swedish students volunteering work at the Emergency Home. Five foreign volunteers assisted in different programs throughout the year.

3. Media Coverage

Different media covered the activities of APSW. Twenty four interview sessions were featured both in TV and radio programs and in magazines.

4. Assistance and Support

As a charitable organization, APSW received assistance and support from many organizations in both the public and the private sectors. Among these included the followings:

Organizations in the public sector

• Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Ministry of Public Health and the Medical Office of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration provided support for selected programs of APSW to provide assistance to women and children, accounting for about 6.7 percent of the revenue of the APSW.

• Health Center 60, Bamrasnaradoon Hospital, Nopparatrajathani Hospital, Bhumibol Hospital, Vajira Hospital and Sritanya Hospital provided services to women and children seeking medical assistance. This was in-kind support, worth about Bht 1,000,000.

Private sector

Many private/business organizations provided cash support including Siam Cement, Srifuengfoong Foundation, Watson Company, Ladies Mission Group, among others.

Organizations in foreign countries which provided financial support for activities included :

In-kind contribution was received from different organizations such as Nestle, Premier Marketing, Poh Teck Tung Foundation, UnileverThailand Group, Packfood among others.

Donation from the general public

Generous support was received from the public. A wide range of contribution including cash, non-cash items, used clothing, books, food items was received throughout the year.

Special contribution for Teens for Teens Project in Tsunami affected area

The APSW received very kind contribution from World Childhood Foundation and Unilever Australasia Foundation for working with the youth in Tsunami affected area and the construction of the Youth Center in Takua Pa District in Pangnga Province.

CONCLUDING REMARK

The overall effort of the APSW in 2006, whether it was on a welfare or proactive end, was successful through the good cooperation rendered by various organizations both in the public and the private sectors. Equally important was the trust and faith the public gave to the APSW to pursue its activities to assist disadvantaged women and children.

For the days ahead, the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women still adheres to its mandate to advance the status of women and will remain a part of the effort to build a non-violent and equitable society for Thai women and men.

Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women (APSW)
under the Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Soamsawali

APSW Committee Members 2006 – 2009

1. Dr Suteera Vichitranonda President
President, Gender and Development Research Institute

2. Associate Professor Wimolsiri Jamnarnwej Vice President
Dean, faculty of Law, Saint John’s University

3. Khunying Nathanon Thavisin Vice President
Former Permanent Secretary, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration

4. Dr Yuwat Vudhimethi Vice President
Special lecturer

5. Professor Emeritus Dr Pensri Bhichaisanit Secretary-General
President, Promoting Women’s Health Foundation

6. Miss Pranee Niemsakul Treasurer
Finance Manager, Women’s Friends Company

7. Miss Jaruwan Kasemsup Assistant Treasurer
Business Enterpreneur / Owner

8. Miss Prapapan Poovachensathit Registrar
Managing Director, Brain Asia Company Limited

9. Police Major-General Pojanee Sunthornket Member
Assistant Director of Health, Royal Thai Police

10. Mr. Arj Wichiencharoen Member
Managing Director, Progress Information Company Ltd

11. Mrs. Nitaya Chanruang Mahabhol Member
Committee member, Engineering Council of Thailand

12. Mr. Sumit Mekraksa Member
President, Sam Por Concrete Company Limited

13. Mrs. Reunkaew Kuiyakanon Brandt Member
Former President of the National Women’s Council of Thailand

14. Mrs. Anik Amarananda Member
Former Senior Executive from Royal Dutch Shell Group

15. Mr. Lek Yambuppha Member
President, International Law Consulting

16. Mr. Wasant Pheemuechang Member
Managing Director, Wasant Law Firm

17. Police Major Pimol Punwilai Member
Lecturer Nursing College,, Police Royal Thai Police

18. Mrs. Pongtip Phutesa Member
Director, Corporate Relations
UNILEVER Thailand

19. Mrs. Charoenjit Ngarmtippan Member
Committee member / Consultant
Thai Management

20. Ms. Apinya Pawasutikarn Member
Don Muang District Chief
Bangkok metropolitan Adminsitration

___________________

Ms Maytinee Bhongsvej Secretary to the APSW
APSW Executive Director Committee

Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women
501/1 Dechatungka Road Donmuang Bangkok
Thailand 10210

Tel: 02 929 2301–7
Fax: 02 929 2856, 02 566 3481
Email : admin@apsw-thailand.org
Homepage: www. apsw-thailand.org

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