Two women who feature in this week’s edition of Spectrum appear to be polar opposites. One, MR Ruchisamara Suksawadi, is a 94-year-old principal who is determined to keep her school running the way it has been since 1946. The other, Dhammananda Bhikkhuni, 70, is trying to instigate a revolution in Thai Buddhism by establishing a female monkhood, much to the chagrin of the Supreme Sangha Council.
MR Ruchisamara seems to belong firmly in the past, even though her life has been dedicated to teaching generation after generation of young minds. Dhammananda is the abbess of the Songdhammakalayani Monastery in Nakhon Pathom, and from there the country’s most prominent female monk has been attempting to change the minds of a generation of old men.
Remarkable as they each are in their own ways, what they share in common is a willingness to speak their minds. At a time when bombastic masculine voices are virtually the only ones getting aired, hearing from two calmly logical but quietly determined women is enormously refreshing.
The sad part, however, is that it is unusual: There has been a striking dearth of strong women’s voices in public discussion. Partly this is because of the political situation, with martial law keeping many dissenting opinions silenced, but mostly it is because of an ingrained culture of sexism that has resulted in women being relegated to second-class citizenship.
For evidence, look no further than the old men who presume to tell young women to dress modestly and defend themselves against sexual exploitation, which is the sort of victim-blaming we are used to hearing from places like Saudi Arabia. This is old-fashioned thinking — surely women have the right to behave how they want, if men do. It is also insulting to presume men are uncontrollable criminals against whom women need protection. Fundamentally, it is wrong to treat people differently on the basis of gender, and it is disappointing if not surprising that authority figures have failed to grasp that concept.
There are few role models for young Thai women to look up to: The most prominent are sports stars, beauty queens and entertainers. While these may not be inherently bad, they do emphasise the physical over the intellectual and help perpetuate stereotypes. The notion that a woman’s worth is related to her looks is constantly being reinforced, and easy targets like adverts for whitening cream and cheap cosmetic surgery are often blamed.
But that is too easy: At some point sisters will have to do it for themselves and speak out. Someone will have to have the guts and brains to take on the patriarchy and argue against prejudice and sexism. Where is Thailand’s answer to Gloria Steinem? To Maya Angelou? To Lena Dunham? They may very well be studying at MR Ruchisamara’s school in Nana, or they may one day emerge from a temple in Nakhon Pathom wearing a saffron robe.
It is not as though women in Thailand are without influence, but it tends to be the quiet sort exercised behind closed doors or in the home. Knowing one's place and conforming to socially accepted roles is very much a part of the broader Thai culture, and women feel it especially keenly. There are exceptions, of course, but the most prominent women politicians and business leaders tend to have been born into powerful dynasties.
Thailand is hardly alone in its lack of female leadership. The region is replete with male-dominated and dictatorial societies where the plight of women is just as bad, if not worse. Even one of the few shining lights in the region, Aung San Suu Kyi, is considered a disappointment for her failure to speak out more even as Myanmar’s much-hyped reforms are shown to be mirages.
But having women speak out is only half the equation: Men also need to listen. The onus is on men to treat women fairly as human beings, to respect their opinions and experiences, and to recognise that they have important contributions to make to society. Women should not be seen as objects to be lusted after, or damsels in need of protection: Men who think this way need an attitude adjustment.
The successes of rights movements in the past have always relied on those who have had the upper hand realising they were in the wrong. For every Eleanor Roosevelt, there must be a Franklin Delano Roosevelt giving her the respect she deserves.
Dhammananda may well end up a powerful force for women's rights in Thailand. She may succeed in getting the Supreme Sangha Council to change. But as logical and persuasive as her argument is, ultimately the men will have to be the ones who end the sexism. It has long been said that behind every great man there is a great woman. We need great women to step forward, and great men to stand behind them.