“The GBV Task Force has changed my life” - strengthening services for survivors of violence in Thailand

TAK, Thailand - Nureen* is a Mon woman who migrated from Myanmar to Thailand 10 years ago for work. When she arrived, she married a man who became abusive and was frequently in and out of hospital as a result of his violence. After they separated, she tried many different ways to protect herself - from filing police reports to seeking help from community leaders – but nothing she tried stopped the violence. 

Earlier this year, however, something changed. She was again admitted to Mae Sot Hospital in Tak Province to receive medical treatment for injuries caused by her ex-husband, but this time she was referred to the Spotlight Initiative-supported Gender-based Violence (GBV) Task Force. Once she had recovered physically, the Task Force connected her to other essential services such as psychosocial counselling and legal assistance.

A network of care

Established in 2021, the GBV Task Force has been assisting survivors of violence, including women migrants, with psychosocial and legal assistance, shelter and medical services. Over the past year, more than 150 women migrant workers have been provided with counselling services and referred to other essential services in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Mae Sot. The Task Force helped Nureen get a court protection order for herself and her children and, along with legal aid, they provided psychosocial support to Nureen and her kids. 

“The work of GBV Task Force has changed my life a lot as I feel safer and dare to go to work, to pick up children from school and am not afraid of being harassed by my ex-husband,” says Nureen. 
“I am now an entrepreneur of a small online fabric business,” she adds.

The GBV Task Force plays an essential role in the western and northern regions of Thailand, which host large populations of migrants. Along with direct service provisions for survivors, the Task Force has reached more than 11,000 women migrants with information on safe migration and violence against women. 

“I would like to send my heartfelt support to all women who experience violence to be strong and to tell them not to be afraid or lose hope,” says Nureen. “Every woman can be empowered. Women and men, regardless of their gender, have equal potential and are entitled to the same rights. As a single mother of five children who came out of a violent relationship, I would like to reaffirm that women are strong, self-reliant and able to raise children by themselves. I am stronger today than yesterday. My children are happier than ever before.”

The GBV Task Forces in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Mae Sot were established as part of the Safe and Fair Programme: Realizing women migrant workers’ rights and opportunities in the ASEAN region (2018–2023). Safe and Fair is part of the multi-year Spotlight Initiative to Eliminate Violence Against Women and Girls, a UN initiative which has received generous support from the European Union. In ASEAN, the initiative is implemented by ILO and UN Women in collaboration with UNODC. It delivers technical assistance and support with the overall objective of making labour migration safe and fair for all women in the ASEAN region.

Written by Pichit Phromkade
Contributed by Kohnwilai Teppunkoonngam

*Name changed to protect privacy.