LGBTQIA+

The Netherlands Embassy has been actively working with relevant counterparts within Thai civil society to promote diversity and inclusiveness for the LGBTIQA+ community, especially on the occasion of IDAHOT (the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia).

The Embassy organizes many events in this regards: workshops, roundtable-discussions with relevant stakeholders (including politicians) to promote rights and equality laws, and other gatherings with a strong LGBTIQA+ focus. To name an example: our annual LGBTQIA+ movie night has also become a household name with regular followers for more than four years.

Freedom of expression

The Netherlands Embassy is actively and strongly supporting the freedom of expression in Thailand. We believe that the freedom of expression is key for every functioning democracy, and a core value for within the rule of law.

The Embassy supports several projects in this regard. One example is a training program that aims to strengthen grassroots media networks, and encourage journalists and would-be journalists “on the margins” of Thailand to organize, work together, and as a network, become a base for shining a light on local challenges around economic and social inequalities, freedom of expression, and community conflicts.

Women’s rights

Another priority of The Netherlands Embassy is the promotion of women’s rights, and counter Gender Based Violence (GBV). Through our funding, female students at colleges and universities in Laos have been trained on gender issues, CEDAW, women’s rights, gender-based violence and the associated laws, with the goal to empower them to become agents of change for gender equality and the achievement of the SDG5 targets within Laos.