In 2026, on the occasion of Thailand’s 4th cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) under the United Nations human rights mechanism, SHero Thailand, together with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and Feminist Legal Support (FLS), jointly submitted a civil society report to the United Nations Human Rights Council. The report highlights the situation of gender-based violence (GBV) and the barriers survivors continue to face in accessing justice in Thailand.

This submission is grounded in years of SHero’s frontline work, legal assistance, data collection, and engagement with survivors. It aims to reflect the persistent gap between legal protections on paper and the realities survivors encounter within Thailand’s justice system.

Key issues raised in the report include:

• Gaps in laws addressing gender-based violence, including the definition of rape that still fails to fully centre the principle of consent, issues relating to sexual harassment, technology-facilitated gender-based violence (Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence – TFGBV), and domestic violence laws that continue to prioritise reconciliation over survivors’ safety and accountability.
• Barriers to justice faced by GBV survivors, particularly undocumented migrants and refugees, whose legal status often prevents them from safely reporting violence or accessing justice mechanisms.
• The lack of gender-sensitive and survivor-centred procedures within the justice system. In practice, many survivors continue to experience re-traumatisation and secondary victimisation through repeated questioning, victim-blaming attitudes, and insensitive investigative processes.
• Insufficient human resources, including the shortage of trained female inquiry officers, interpreters, and lawyers with expertise in GBV cases.
• The lack of adequate survivor support services, including shelters, long-term rehabilitation, mental health support, and accessible services for survivors with disabilities.

In addition, the report provides recommendations to the Thai government on legal and institutional reforms needed to align domestic laws and practices with international human rights standards, and to build a justice system that truly respects the dignity, safety, and voices of survivors.

SHero would like to sincerely thank survivors, lawyers, human rights defenders, civil society partners, and everyone who contributed their experiences, knowledge, and recommendations to this report. Every voice matters in pushing for structural change and making the justice system a safer and more accessible space for all.

#UPR #SHeroThailand #GenderJustice #GBV #AccessToJustice #HumanRights