In support of HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha

 UN WOMEN Goodwill Ambassador for Thailand

Model Village

            It has become one of the Office of the Attorney General’s policies on supporting the SayNo to VAW campaign that local administrative offices in each province select at least one village to be what is so-called ‘model village’. In support of HRH Bajrakitiyabha –UN WOMEN Goodwill Ambassador for the Say NO to Violence against Women initiative in Thailand to be in line with international agenda and practice, each village is expected to be the model of other villages in its local community on how to organise activities to help to end violence against women, and what kinds of such activities can be created.

            To become a model village, that village will firstly be selected by the local administrative authority.  Not only does the model village have played its roles in being a Network on Ending Violence against Women but it also has other tasks.  Basically, the members of each village have joined to become the Networks on Ending Violence against Women.  Moreover, the village has to demonstrate that it is violence-free zone and to organise a number of activities to publicise, promote, give legal advice, as well as raise awareness of any issues relating to the use of domestic violence.

For example, in Rayong Province, people in Tambol Ta Khan area consisting of approximately 2,000 families has been chosen to be a model village.  Within the village, a centre of local NOVAW was established and the progress and implementation of such plans and activities are regularly reported, reviewed and followed up.

In Nan Province, Khon village comprising 254 families was chosen to be the model village. Basic legal knowledge on ending violence against women and legal advice on various fields of family law e.g. will, inheritance, child abuse and adopted child etc. is given to people in the village. And in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, population in the selected model village agree to keep guard and watch out for any domestic violent incidents in order to deter violent actions being taken in their communities. 

            All in all, these model villages can be considered as the role model to other villages in the local community on ending violence against women, reflecting their strong will to prevent all forms and kinds of violence in their families and communities. This is the beginning, albeit a small beginning, for Thailand to show that the people of Thailand will no longer tolerate violence, the Office of the Attorney General takes this issue seriously, and together the country will fight against violence until violent actions against women no longer exist.