December 4 – 5, 2014, Manila, Philippines

1. Thailand Country Report “The ASEAN Regional Conference on Sharing of Good Practices in Social Protection for Women in Enterprise Development” December 4 – 5, 2014, Manila, Philippines

2. Outline Social Protection & legal mandates SMEs and Women Empowerment Fund Si Sa Ket province: based social protection Challenges & Lessons Learned

3. Thailand Population: 65.98 Million Female: 33.63 Million (50.9 %) Male: 32.35 Million (49.1 % ) Sex Ratio: 96.2 males : 100 females (As of December 2010) • SMEs in 2013 Total entrepreneurs: 2.84 Million SMEs: 2.75 Million ( 97.16 % of total entrepreneurs) Small Entrepreneurs: 2.73 Million (97.70 % of SMEs) Medium entrepreneurs: 13,247 (0.47 % of SMEs) Source: The Office of Small and Medium Entrepreneur Promotion (OMEP)

4. Social protection’s definition Social Protection Floor (CEB): ● An integrated set of social policies designed to guarantee income security and access to social services for all, paying particular attention to vulnerable groups, and protecting and empowering people across the life cycle. ● It includes guarantees of basic income security, in the form of various social transfers (in cash or in kind).

5. Social protection: a priority for equity and growth • A fundamental means to mitigate social inequalities • The establishment of the National Commission on Social Welfare, chaired by the Prime Minister • A strategy to develop a universal, coherent social protection system by 2017 called the “Welfare Society” • The vision of the 11th National Economic and Social Development Plan (2012-16) is to build “A happy society with equity, fairness and resilience” • The Policy Statement of the Council of Ministers delivered by Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha to the National Assembly on 12 September 2014 on social protection. • The UN system in Thailand established a team in March 2010

6. The legal framework on social protection

7. Additional social welfare programs Types of direct and indirect benefits to the people: ● School meals, milk of schools nationwide ● Community welfare funds ● Farmers’ debt and price guarantees for agricultural products ● Allocations to poor, homeless, people who have experienced violence, and other vulnerable groups, urgent social welfare assistance ● Provides funeral grants to survivors ● Other financial assistance from different funds, such as the child protection fund, the old age fund, the fund to promote and develop the quality of life of people with disabilities, and the human trafficking fund ● Free electricity fewer than 50 units per month, and free transportation on non-air conditioned buses and third class trains ● In fact, female and male in Thailand shall be protected equally.

8. Thailand SMEs.

9. Thailand SMEs. (Con)

10. Women Empowerment Fund (WEF)

11. Women Empowerment Fund (WEF) • established in 2012, • applies financial strategies to maximize improvements in women capacity. • provide financial support in the form of loans to women group that are launching or growing an income generating activities, and subsidizes for women development projects. Vision • To empower women to be the crucial force for country’s development Missions • To provide low interest loans for women investment • To provide funds for women’s capacity building and networking to concern women’s issue • To provide funds for promoting and supporting activities that solve women problems

12. Member profile 31% North Northeast 43% 12% Member 9.8 million Individual 9.7303 million 69% Non member central 18% BKK 2% West 5% East Aged 14% Occupation Farmer 32 % Labor 30 % none 20% Education primary school 54% secondary school 15% high school 14% 61% have income less than 5,000 ฿(166 us$) /month 25% 19% 19% South 14% 15% 15% 6% 40-49 50-59 30-39 20-29 organizations 60up 127 15-19 Mean = 44years old

13. Gov’t annual budget • Revolving fund • ฿ 5,800 m. • + ฿75 m./year Financial scheme • Capitalof WEF • Revenue • (Interest from loan ) ~ ฿ 150 million/year • Grant • ฿ 1,450 million • Fund raisingactivities • Admin cost • ~฿ 300 million/year

14. Strategy ,Target and Outcome • Women at every aged have potential and leadership • Women have job and income Women Leadership Development Women’s Income generating Promotion 1.5 m. women got 5,732 m. loan to invest and earn 5000 ฿ /person/month 140,000 women have higher leadership Fund performance Development Women’s Quality of life Improvement 4.40 from 5 (point) of Fund evaluation with 13 indicator 3 m. women have better quality of life • Women have good quality of life • Committee at every level have managerial capacity • Fund is sustainable

15. Reserve local wisdom • Solve community concerns • Increase • warm hearted family tight-knit family • Social effect • Enhance women’leadership • Decrease illegal debt • Increase productivity • Invest new technology

16. Social impact from WEFto Thai society Women become change agents of their community. Women’s unemployment are reduced Gender disparity problems are reduced Women have better improvements in human right, dignity and opportunity. The belief that women can do are disseminated

17. Social protection project Project: “Communication between Parents and Children & stop Teenage Mothers” Location: Si Sa Ket province, north-eastern region Granted by: The WEF’s Committees of Si Sa Ket Province Objectives:To create an open family in which parents and children discuss the social issues, become aware of the problems teenagers and encourage family and school play a big role in providing sexual education and a safe environment and build network concerning teenage mothers among local administrations and community organizations. ● Conducted in 2012 – 2014: spread out every district of Si Sa Ketprovince, with 190 training courses and 28,500 participants ● Granted to run: 10 million Baht (about 60,000 baht per three day course) ● Expectation:To decrease the high case of teenage pregnancies and enhance the network concerning social problems’ solution ● Targets: Youth, parent, related agencies such as government, private and civil sectors

18. Gap and challenges Lessons Learned

19. Sawasdeekrub