SHero Thailand presents recommendations for reforming laws and justice responses to gender-based violence at Thailand’s UPR Pre-session in Geneva. Ahead of Thailand’s Fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR), SHero Thailand acknowledged recent progress while highlighting legal gaps and structural barriers that continue to restrict survivors’ access to safety and justice.
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SHero Thailand called on Thailand to:
1. Amend its domestic violence law to protect all survivors of intimate partner violence, regardless of cohabitation, and prioritise survivor safety over preserving family relationships.
2. Adopt a consent-based definition of rape, making the absence of freely given consent the central element of the offence, rather than focusing primarily on force, threats or physical resistance.
3. Establish safe and confidential reporting mechanisms so that migrants, regardless of documentation status, as well as asylum seekers and refugees, can seek protection and access justice without fear of adverse immigration consequences.
These three recommendations represent the urgent priorities presented by SHero Thailand at the Pre-session. The joint submission by SHero Thailand, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Feminist’s Legal Support (FLS) and partner organisations also addresses other critical issues, including technology-facilitated gender-based violence, access to shelters and psychosocial support, accessible services for survivors with disabilities, increasing women’s representation and participation within the police, prosecution service and judiciary, the rights and protection of sex workers, and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
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This is a critical moment for Thailand to advance meaningful reform of its laws and policies on gender-based violence, placing survivors’ rights, safety and voices at the centre.