Gender Experiences in a Female-dominated Industry: The Case of Nurses in Thailand

Authors

Uraiporn Kattiyapornpong, University of WollongongFollow
Anne N. Cox, University of WollongongFollow

RIS ID

123876

Publication Details

Kattiyapornpong, U. & Cox, A. (2018). Gender Experiences in a Female-dominated Industry: The Case of Nurses in Thailand. In K. Broadbent, G. Strachan & G. Healy (Eds.), Gender and the Professions: International and Contemporary Perspectives (pp. 185-200). United Kingdom: Routledge.

Abstract

Thailand, an upper middle income economy (World Bank 2016), is simi­lar to any developing country in Southeast Asia where politics, laws and regulations are in the process of developing to meet the world standard of human rights. The issue of gender equality in Thailand has been evolv­ing gradually. Thailand presents a 'gender paradox' (Vichit-Vadakan 2008; Bjarnegard 2009), where women's newly gained success in educational and economic spheres does not translate into gender equality in other spheres. Compared to neighbouring countries, the Thai government acknowledged gender equality relatively late when it was included in the Constitution in 1997. Women's role in Thai society continues to be influenced by Buddhist beliefs and cultural norms that emphasise the superiority of men. Yukongdi and Rowley (2009) argue that social attitudes towards women in Thailand have not kept pace with the changes in legislation.