How is the welfare outcome for women changing in Indonesia and Thailand today?

How is the Welfare Outcome for Women Changing in Indonesia and Thailand Today?
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How is the Welfare Outcome for Women Changing in Indonesia and Thailand Today?
Introduction
Based on the socio-economic and geopolitical challenges that face numerous societies today, the welfares of women have attained great relevance and urgency1. Welfare outcomes are defined as the regulatory procedures and the social efforts that are primarily designed to promote the basic well-being of the people who are in need. For this research, the welfare outcomes will refer to the efforts of the female gender in the society based on the fact that they have, in the past, been disadvantaged a lot. Therefore, this piece will seek to find answers to the manners in which the welfare outcomes of women have changed in two different growing economies through education and women empowerment programs. Indonesia and Thailand will be of specific interest to the research.
It is indeed true that the welfare of women has tremendously changed in the society through women empowerment. On the first account, Indonesia is a country where women have immeasurably gained from the concept of gender empowerment3. In the last decade, various developments and social changes have encouraged significant and positive alterations in the work-participation of women4. Most of the women have joined the Women-Headed Household Empowerment Program (PEKKA), a program that has improved the livelihood of over 52,000 households.

For Thailand, the welfare of women has fairly changed through empowerment programs. However, they have not been equally accepted in the society just as their male counterparts5. For example, they have got the Volunteer Women Empowerment Program (VWEP) that has been set in a women refugee center in Bangkok. In this center, disadvantaged women are provided with shelter and taught English language to improve their educational growth. Despite this efforts, most women are said to be victims of domestic abuse and single motherhood, issues that can be sufficiently addressed through these empowerment programs.
In Indonesia, significant strides have also been made to promote the welfare of women through education6. However, most of the highly educated women in the country minimally utilize the skills that they have acquired overtime7. That is a result of multiple barriers that limit them from exercising such rights. It can be proved by a study conducted by Shanika Samarakoon in 2015. His research indicates that 96 percent of men are illiterate as compared to the 90 percent of women (Samarakoon and Rasyad, 2015). Despite their literacy level, the women unemployment rate stands at 7.2 percent, when compared to the male’s 5.6 percent (Gender Data Portal, 2016). The trend is also reflected in other segments of the economy. In Thailand, there has also been an incredible improvement in the level of education among women. As of 2013, the country had a rate 96.7 percent literacy level among women as compared to the 96.6 percent for their male counterparts. That is a clear indication that much has changed regarding the education of women9.Nevertheless, the comparatively strong patriarchal system and tradition have advanced the concept of women subordination despite their level of education8. For instance, there has been a considerably small representation of women in the political coffers, thus, reaffirming the place of the male-controlled society in Thailand.
Conclusion
In light of the discussions above, it can be deduced that the welfare of women in both Thailand and Indonesia have slightly changed over the years. In both cases, the women’s welfare has been improved through various empowerment programs; PEKKA and VWEP. Besides, studies have also shown that women in these two different societies are more enlightened when compared to the men. However, despite the women high literacy level in Thailand and Indonesia, their social systems have consistently subordinated and deprived them employment and political opportunities. That continues to reaffirm the status of women in these societies. Even though their governments and other agencies try to improve their welfares, it has not yet attained the desirable levels required10. Thus, both Thailand and Indonesia should realize significant changes in their values, traditional roles and the status that women have continued to hold since the ancient times.

Endnotes
Chamlou, Nadereh and Massoud Karshenas. 2016. “Women, Work and Welfare in the Middle East and North Africa.” 1st ed. USA: Greenfields Publishing.
Blackwood, Evelyn, Juliette Koning, Marleen Nolten, Janet Rodenburg, and Ratna Saptari. 2001. “Women and Households in Indonesia: Cultural Notions and Social Practices.” Indonesia 71: 219. Doi: 10.2307/3351464.
“The Status of Women and Girls — IWPR.” 2016. Iwpr.Org. http://www.iwpr.org/initiatives/the-status-of-women-and-girls (December 4, 2016).
“A Woman’s Place – Inside Indonesia.” 2016. inside Indonesia. http://www.insideindonesia.org/a-woman-s-place-3 (December 4, 2016).
“The Roles and Rights of Thai Women from Past to Present | Wiki-gender.” 2016. Wikigender.Org. http://www.wikigender.org/wiki/the-role-and-rights-of-thai-woman-from-past-to-present/ (December 4, 2016).
Iwanaga, Kazuki. 2008. Women and Politics in Thailand. 1st ed. Copenhagen: NIAS Press.
“Changing The Role Of Indonesian Women Will Take A Paradigm Shift.” 2015. The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/girls-twenty/role-of-women-indonesia_b_8371152.html (December 4, 2016).
Iwanaga, Kazuki. 2005. “Women in Politics in Thailand.” EBook. 1st ed. Sweden: Centre for East and South – East Asian Studies Lund University, http://www.niaslinc.dk/gateway_to_asia/nordic_webpublications/x506003832.pdf (December 4, 2016).
“Thaiways: Women’s Status in Thai Society.” 2002. Thaiwaysmagazine.Com. http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/thai_article/1911_thai_women_status/thai_women_status.html (December 4, 2016).
Kapur-Fic, Alexandra R. 1998. “Thailand: Buddhism, Society, and Women.” 1st Ed. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications.

References
Chamlou, Nadereh and Massoud Karshenas. 2016. “Women, Work and Welfare in the Middle
East and North Africa.” 1st ed. USA: Greenfields Publishing.
Blackwood, Evelyn, Juliette Koning, Marleen Nolten, Janet Rodenburg, and Ratna Saptari. 2001.
“Women and Households in Indonesia: Cultural Notions and Social Practices.”
Indonesia 71:219. Doi: 10.2307/3351464.
“The Status of Women and Girls — IWPR.” 2016. Iwpr.Org. http://www.iwpr.org/initiatives/theStatus-of-women-and-girls (December 4, 2016).
“A Woman’s Place – Inside Indonesia.” 2016. inside Indonesia.
http://www.insideindonesia.org/a-woman-s-place-3 (December 4, 2016).
“The Roles and Rights of Thai Women from Past to Present | Wiki-gender.” 2016.
Wikigender.Org. http://www.wikigender.org/wiki/the-role-and-rights-of-thai-womanFrom-past-to-present/ (December 4, 2016).
Iwanaga, Kazuki. 2008. “Women and Politics in Thailand.” 1st ed. Copenhagen: NIAS Press.
“Changing The Role Of Indonesian Women Will Take A Paradigm Shift.” 2015. The Huffington
Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/girls-twenty/role-of-womenindonesia_b_8371152.html (December 4, 2016).
Iwanaga, Kazuki. 2005. “Women in Politics in Thailand.” EBook. 1st ed. Sweden: Centre for
East and South – East Asian Studies Lund University.
http://www.niaslinc.dk/gateway_to_asia/nordic_webpublications/x506003832.pdf(December 4, 2016).
“Thaiways: Women’s Status in Thai Society.” 2002. Thaiwaysmagazine.Com.
http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/thai_article/1911_thai_women_status/thai_women_satus.html (December 4, 2016).
Kapur-Fic, Alexandra R. 1998. “Thailand: Buddhism, Society, and Women.” 1st Ed. New Delhi:
Abhinav Publications.
Samarakoon, Shanika, and Rasyad A. Parinduri. “Does education empower women? Evidence
From Indonesia.” World Development 66 (2015): 428-442.