Early this month, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai affirmed the progress of women's rights in Thailand via a teleconference at a high-level meeting of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA75).
He said the country has enacted the Gender Equality Act to prevent discrimination and provided the Women's Development Fund to ensure access to financial support. He added that it has also increased the participation of women in peacekeeping and security.
Although the number of female MPs has increased slightly over the past decade, starting from the period when former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra was in office, this parliament, in particular, has seen a rise in the number of younger female MPs who were previously outside the political circle, according to the Election Commission.
Politicians and observers say this higher ratio of women MPs has promoted greater gender equality, but the male-dominated political environment and a lack of female candidates remain obstacles.
Women's rise
Thanikan Pornpongsaroj, a Palang Pracharath Party MP and chairwoman of its committee on women's policy, said the growth in the number of younger female MPs from a business background reflects a global trend towards engaging women.
"In the past, women were expected to do chores only, but they are now taking on leadership roles because they have opportunity and potential. We have seen more women MPs and the first female president of the Supreme Court [Metinee Chalodhorn], but the question is how we can increase the number of female ministers in cabinet?" she told the Bangkok Post.
Ms Thanikan said, however, parliament is diverse by nature and therefore new faces must learn how to collaborate with veterans on all fronts and bring their expertise to the table.
"The way we can balance politicians across age, sex and generation reflects growing public acceptance and will develop into more efficient laws and policies in a male-dominated society," she said.
Ms Thanikan said they are now working with the King Prajadhipok Institute on gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) to ensure women, who outnumber men in the country, are taken into account more thoroughly.
"For instance, we are discussing the number and location of female restrooms because women spend longer using the facilities and face a higher chance of sexual harassment. We are also debating the functionality of female uniforms," she said.
Asked about sexism, Ms Thanikan described life as a young female politician as "traumatic" with many all too quick to judge and discriminate, but she is determined to prove herself by working hard.
"It requires strong will because you have to sacrifice time with family members and friends. But if you can do that, being a woman can have its advantages," she said.
More seats for women
Ruengrawee Pichaikul, director of the Gender and Development Research Institute (GDRI), said equality in the political arena has grown since last year's election.
"These younger female MPs come from various backgrounds and join politics because they are eager to change the country for the better. Moreover, some parties support candidates from the same generation as well as equity-driven policies and campaigns, for example, GRB and tax reform. These new female MPs are different from their senior counterparts who fear losing their strongholds if they push a progressive agenda," she said.
Ms Ruengrawee said the number of female MPs matters but depends on the political will of each party because there is no legal obligation to ensure equality.
Although the constitution states they should "be aware of the male-female ratio", some other countries will actually disband non-conforming parties.
"The proportion needs to rise to 30% [in parliament] because this is the threshold whereby campaigns can materialise. Any system that allows women to take on decision-making roles can ease tensions. For example, ensuring at least 10% of those involved in peace talks are women has been shown to make negotiations more sustainable," she said.
Ms Ruengrawee voiced support for the higher proportion of female MPs because she believes their biological roles, for example, motherhood, menstruation and labour, make them likely to consider them during policy debates.
Parliament has already begun more open discussions of female issues including sexual abuse and harassment, the sale of sex toys, prostitution and the implementation of the Gender Equality Act.
Question marks left hanging
On the other hand, Pannin Sumanasrethakul, a former lecturer at Thammasat University's School of Global Studies, said Yingluck's administration saw the first female premier and highest ratio of women MPs at the time, but the question is whether its campaigns really supported women in society in general.
"Studies show the government established funds for women, but one criterion states that eligible applicants must be members of a political party. To what extent are they different from village funds? Was it a populist policy? Was it pro-business or pro-woman?" she asked.
Asst Prof Pannin, who has been examining the role of women in parliament since 1932, said improving the ratio is not the only answer and the political atmosphere, now a predominantly male environment, should be more friendly to women and other groups.
"If parties cannot become more open-minded in their campaigning, nothing will change. Sexist jokes will remain rife. In fact, it should be normal for male politicians to address female-related issues," she said.
Not enough
Meanwhile, Ongart Klampaiboon, deputy leader of the Democrats, said while the party has never implemented quotas, it has always strived to field female candidates in elections wherever possible and at least half of its executive directors are women.
"Many parties are constantly looking for qualified applicants.
''Practically speaking, there still aren't enough highly-qualified women who aspire to become MPs, even though the numbers have increased compared to the past. However, once in the House, women frequently perform very well in debates," he said.
When asked about further support for female politicians, he said the main hurdle was getting women into parliament in the first place -- for as the numbers increase, the need for specific measures to ensure equality will lessen as a result.