On behalf of the organizing committee, I would like to express my appreciation for the efforts of all the many people and organizations who have contributed to this event.

This conference is a part of the celebration of the 110th Birth Anniversary of Professor Thanphuying Poonsapaya Navawongs na Ayudhaya, a prominent woman in Thai education at Chulalongkorn University.

Deep gratitude must be given to the Professor Momluang Chirayu – Professor Thanphuying Poonsapaya Navawongs Foundation, the Katawaetin Foundation under the Royal Patronage of H.M. the King and Zonta Thailand who kindly arrange the exhibition for this conference.

Finally, sincere appreciation is extended to all the scholars who have graciously accepted to share their wisdom in this venue.

This annual event of the Empowering Network for International Thai and ASEAN Studies Project (ENITAS) is supported by the Research Partnership Project, Ratchadaphiseksomphot Endowment Fund, Chulalongkorn University.

Suchitra Chongstitvatana

Director, Institute of Thai Studies

Chulalongkorn University

08.30-09.00
 

Registration

09.00-09.30
 

Opening address 
     Bundhit Eua-arporn
     – President of Chulalongkorn University

Welcome Performance 
     Organized by Chulalongkorn University Demonstration School (Primary Level)

09.30-10.00
 

How Women Are Leading the Way to Implement the Sustainable Development Goals in ASEAN
     Lesli Davis 
     – Women Peace and Security Programme, United Nations

10.00-10.30
 

Making Women Voices Stronger In Media and Society : Women Make the News Thailand
     Misako Ito
     – Regional Advisor for Communication and Information, UNESCO Bangkok

10.30-11.00 
 

     Refreshments

11.00-11.30
 

Professor Thanphuying Poonsapaya Navawongs na Ayudhaya : The Intellectual Jewel of Thai Teacher Education
     Wichit Srisa-an
     – Former Minister of Education, Thailand

11.30-12.00
 

Viewing : Poetry and Art Exhibition in Honour of Professor Thanphuying Poonsapaya
     Organized by

     The Professor Momluang Chirayu – Professor Thanphuying Poonsapaya Navawongs Foundation,
     The Katawaetin Foundation under Royal Patronage of H.M. the King,
     Zonta Thailand

12.00-13.00
 

     Luncheon

13.00-13.30
 

Malaysia’s Woman of Prominence : Tan Sri Dato' Sri Dr. Ungku Zeti Akhtar binti Ungku Abdul Aziz
     Faridah Noor Mohd Noor
     – University of Malaya, Malaysia

13.30-14.00
 

Sri Mulyani Indrawati on Competence, Integrity and Reputation
     Kristi Poerwandari
     – Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia

14.00-14.30
 

“Bitterness Turns into Poetry” : Life and Works of Xuân Quỳnh (1942-1988)
     Montira Rato 
     – Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

14.30-15.00
 

     Refreshments

15.00-15.30
 

Dr Kanwaljit Soin – Campaigner Dedicated to Improving the Lives of Women
     June Goh
     – Singapore Council of Women’s Organization, Singapore

15.30-16.00
 

Beyond Classical Dance: Creative Efforts by Two Female Artists in Cambodia
     Rithisal Kang
     – Amrita Performing Arts, Cambodia

16.00-16.30
 

Mattani Rutnin Who Combined Eastern and Western Theatre in Thailand

     Panpassa Tubtien
     – Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

16.30-16.45
 

Closing Ceremony

Lesli Davis

Women Peace and Security Programme, United Nations

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by the year 2030. These 17 goals include interconnected themes. Cross-cutting all of these is Goal 5 – the aim to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

In ASEAN, there has been significant progress toward the realization of these goals, yet there is still a long way to go. Much of this work has been spearheaded and implemented by women – from efforts to promote business practices that give women greater equality and leadership in Thailand to work at the community level in Indonesia to foster more peaceful villages.

This presentation will briefly present the SDGs, with special attention to Goal 5, present some baseline data for the ASEAN region, and explore how women in the region have been working to achieve the goals and what is yet left to accomplish. The presentation will argue that the realization of gender equality and women’s leadership lies at the heart of improving society, along with achieving the Global Goals in ASEAN and globally.

(Presented in the international conference – Prominent Women in the ASEAN Community, 13 July 2018, Le Meridien Hotel, Bangkok, organized by Institute of Thai Studies and Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University)

Misako Ito

Regional Advisor for Communication and Information, UNESCO Bangkok

The Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) 2015 reveals that women make up only around 1 in 4 people heard, read about or seen in the news. Studies also show that women representations in the media in Asia and the Pacific often reinforces stereotypes and traditional gender roles. Women are most commonly depicted as “victims”, “family figures” or “sex objects”.

Thai media are no exception. A 2014 study that looked at one month’s worth of news coverage on Thai television showed that when it came to experts interviewed in different fields (politics, economy, social issues, etc), 76% were men and 24% were women. A similar trend held for members of the public interviewed for their views on news of the day: 75% men, 25% women.

Why should we worry? Because media messages have a powerful impact on our behaviours and values. More women voices in the media is essential: to reflect and encourage the active participation of women in society.

In Thailand, there is a striking gap between the actual contributions women make to the society and economy and their participation in political sphere and decision-making. The country has one of the highest percentages of women scientists: 53%. Thailand is also one of the six countries together with Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Peru and Indonesia where as many women are starting business as men. But the country ranks 127 out of 144 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index 2017 when it comes to women’s participation in political sphere. One of the areas where this challenge is particularly tangible is in the media.

The project Women Make the News Thailand aims at addressing this gap. Targeting especially journalists, the project seeks to offer media a concrete tool to feature more women voices in their news coverage. The tool provides journalists with a list of over 280 profiles and contacts of Thai women experts in three areas that were identified as lacking women’s voices in the media: 1. Media, ICT and Innovation, 2. Culture and Histories of ASEAN, and 3. Environment and Climate Change.

(Presented in the international conference – Prominent Women in the ASEAN Community, 13 July 2018, Le Meridien Hotel, Bangkok, organized by Institute of Thai Studies and Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University)

Wichit Srisa-an

Former Minister of Education, Thailand

In the past, Thai society was a patriarchal society leading to the limited role of Thai women under the traditional status of wives and mothers. Although there have been numerous women who performed outstanding work with significant impact on society, the number has been rather small when compared to that of men. Most often, such work was undertaken by high status women who were given more opportunities. Under such social conditions and constraints, Professor Thanphuying Poonsapaya Navawongs na Ayudhaya was an exceptional Thai woman who played a pivotal role in the development of Thai society, especially in Thai Teacher education. Although she was the daughter of a German merchant and a royal maid, she reached the pinnacle of both a personal life and a career. She was bestowed the honorable title of “Thanphuying” and received the position of “Professor”, both of which reflected her lifelong dedication and commitment to working for the nation and society. Some people may argue that such excellence was the result of her being given more exclusive opportunities than other ordinary women since she grew up inside the palace walls and received quality education, meaning “opportunity” and “space” were readily available for her to build up her work and reputation. This presentation, however, will focus on the fact that, even though her upbringing played an important part, it was indeed more owing to her own unique characteristics, including her purposefulness, perseverance, leadership, modern-mindedness and moral and ethical character. These characteristics can be seen through the way she carried herself, the way she treated others and the way she performed her duties, all of which have made her a female role model worthy of respect and admiration.

Professor Thanphuying Poonsapaya Navawongs na Ayudhaya contributed to the development of Thai teacher education, including the formation of the Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, where she was the first female dean in Thai education history. This was also the starting point of Chulalongkorn University Demonstration School and other faculties of the university, namely, communication arts, psychology, nursing and sports science. Moreover, she challenged and transformed the mindset regarding Thai education in various ways by pioneering ideas, theories and new educational processes. Lastly, she constantly promoted and supported the role of women in social development by founding the Thai Association of University Women (T.A.U.W.) and Zonta International Club Thailand. She also established other organizations both inside and outside educational areas for promoting education and social development and was the president of many organizations making great contributions to Thai society.

In light of her notable work throughout the 105 years of her life (1910-2015), Professor Thanphuying Poonsapaya Navawongs na Ayudhaya was given the honored of the First Senior Professor of Chulalongkorn University and named Exceptional Contributor to National Higher Education and National Senior Citizen of 2009. On the occasion of the 110th anniversary of her birth in 2020, the Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University would like to nominate Professor Thanphuying Poonsapaya Navawongs na Ayudhaya to be a UNESCO eminent personality to promote her as a woman who was the intellectual jewel of Thai teacher education so she can be recognized and commended at the international level.

(Presented in the international conference – Prominent Women in the ASEAN Community, 13 July 2018, Le Meridien Hotel, Bangkok, organized by Institute of Thai Studies and Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University)

Faridah Noor Mohd Noor

Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, University of Malaya

Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Zeti Akhtar Aziz is a prominent figure on the Malaysian financial scene. On 1 May 2000, she was appointed as the first woman Governor of the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Malaysia’s Central Bank. During her 15 years in office, she was showered with accolades of national and international awards. Her path towards the prominent position as the Governor was laid with the bricks of experience holding several positions in the world of finance and economics. The nation was significantly advanced by her leadership as the Chief Economist to the Central Bank. During the 1997 currency crisis, governments were forced to seek emergency bailouts. However, despite criticism from the IMF, Malaysia went ahead to peg the currency and impose capital controls on foreign investors. This followed with transformation of Malaysia’s financial sector and development of Malaysia’s bond market. Today, Malaysia has one of the largest bond markets in Southeast Asia. Upon Tun Mahathir Mohammed’s return to the helm as the Prime Minister of Malaysia, she has been entrusted with appointment as a member of the Council of Elders. The Council is a special advisory panel tasked to advise the newly-elected Pakatan Harapan coalition government on economic and financial matters during the transition of power after the landslide 2018 general elections. Tan Sri Dato' Sri Dr. Zeti Akhtar is indeed a woman of substance who implemented policies to save the nation during the financial crisis based on her wise judgement and professional experience.

(Presented in the international conference – Prominent Women in the ASEAN Community, 13 July 2018, Le Meridien Hotel, Bangkok, organized by Institute of Thai Studies and Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University)

Kristi Poerwandari

Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Indonesia

“In a political system that does not allow the presence of political ethics, people like me cannot exist. Because when I promise as a public official, I promise myself I do not want to make people corrupt. How painful. I never shed tears to uphold this principle. As long as I do not betray the truth, do not deny conscience, can still maintain my dignity, then I win.”

(Sri Mulyani in her last speech as Minister of Finance, 2010)

Sri Mulyani Indrawati, born 26 August 1962, is a professional economist with no political affiliation. She has currently served as the Minister of Finance of Indonesia since 2016, having previously served in the same post from 2005 to 2010.

Sri Mulyani was selected as Indonesian Finance Minister in 2005 by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. One of her first acts was to fire corrupt tax and customs officers in the department. She was known as a tough reformist and was largely credited with strengthening Indonesia’s economy, increasing investments and steering Southeast Asia’s largest economy through the 2007-2010 financial crisis.

During her tenure, Indonesia recorded 6.6% economic growth in 2007, its highest rate since the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The growth was down in 2008 to 6% because of the global economic slowdown. In 2006, just one year after being selected, she was named Euromoney Finance Minister of the Year by Euromoney magazine. In 2007 and 2008, Emerging Markets newspaper selected Sri Mulyani as Asia’s Finance Minister of The Year.

In 2008 there was a global financial crisis affecting Indonesia. The issue of liquidity in some banks raised a wave of public panic. Bak Century was finally declared a failed and potentially systemic bank by the Financial Systems Stability Committee chaired by Sri Mulyani and was bailed out with up to 6.7 trillion rupiah.

Bank Century’s rescue decision was a time bomb for Sri Mulyani. She was harshly criticized by the House of Representative of crime with the bailout of the bank. Sri Mulyani explained that if the decision was not taken, there could have been a systemic impact that could have destroyed the Indonesian economy. In addition, the decision did not use state budget funds, purely accessing the managed fund of the Deposit Insurance Corporation.

With very strong political pressure due to the Century case, she finally chose to resign from her duties as Minister of Finance in May 2010. On 5 May 2010, Mulyani was appointed as one of three Managing Directors of the World Bank Group, overseeing 74 nations in Latin America, Caribbean, East Asia and Pacific, Middle East and North Africa. Her resignation as Minister of Finance was viewed negatively and caused financial turmoil in Indonesia. Some called the move as “Indonesia’s loss, and the World’s gain”.

On 27 July 2016, Sri Mulyani was reappointed as Minister of Finance in a cabinet reshuffle by President Joko Widodo. She was designated Finance Minister of Asia by Finance Asia in 2017, and in February 2018, was named The Best Minister in The World by World Government Summit held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

According to Sri Mulyani, the key to becoming a leader anywhere is to have competence, integrity and reputation. When these three things are achieved, people will have respect. With respect, leaders can exercise “the hows” as leaders: to connect, to motivate and to be role models. If there is competence and integrity, there is no need to worry about making decisions because the decisions are for the good of the people and the state, not for personal or group interests.

(Presented in the international conference – Prominent Women in the ASEAN Community, 13 July 2018, Le Meridien Hotel, Bangkok, organized by Institute of Thai Studies and Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University)

Montira Rato

Department of Eastern Languages, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University

Xuân Quỳnh (1942-1988) is regarded as the most prominent Vietnamese poet in the twentieth century. Having grown up and writing amid the deprivation of the Vietnam War, her poems reveal how humanity blossoms, hope can emerge from wartime hardship and childhood memories are cherished. Words used in her poetry are simple, but clearly come from her heart and can reflect a person’s ability to love, to appreciate life and reach a finer self. Not only are wartime scenes portrayed in her poems, human experiences, especially from a perspective of a woman, are also vividly depicted. Xuân Quỳnh focuses on love, motherhood and human interaction, while most male poets in her generation pay more attention to the conflicts and heroism of the war. Her poems stand the test of time as even today they are still read, loved and translated into several foreign languages. In 2016, she was posthumously awarded Vietnam’s State prize in Literature and Arts, including the Ho Chi Minh Prize in Literature and Arts, regarded as the highest-ranking award of its kind in the country.

(Presented in the international conference – Prominent Women in the ASEAN Community, 13 July 2018, Le Meridien Hotel, Bangkok, organized by Institute of Thai Studies and Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University)

June Goh

Singapore Council of Women’s Organization

“There has never been a better time in history to be born female.” This was passionately delivered by Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of the United States, at the sixth annual Women in the World Summit in 2015. More than a rousing statement, it is also a declaration that women of this new century have not only improved their position in society, but have also conquered new frontiers in every field all over the world, confident to lead new generations to come. Across the ASEAN region, women are making themselves heard and, over the last 50 years, have made tremendous progress and contribution to the growth and social development of their nations. In Singapore, significant progress has been achieved not only through public legislation, but also through efforts from civil society and strong women in advocacy.

One such prominent woman whose work and influence has shaped Singapore’s policy on women, and will continue to do so, is Dr Kanwaljit Soin – a highly respected orthopaedic and hand surgeon, former Nominated Member of Parliament and an outspoken campaigner dedicated to improving the lives of women. A strong advocator for women’s rights, as well as social issues, Dr Kanwaljit is a founder of several welfare and advocacy organisations.

Dr Kanwaljit’s work in civil society began in 1985 when she was a founding member of the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE). In 1992, Dr Kanwaljit became Singapore’s first female Nominated Member of Parliament where she raised a plethora of topics, including female representation in parliament, ethnic self-help groups, health policies, the aged and immigration issues, which were all pertinent to society. Her most noteworthy contribution to Singapore was her integral role in changing the legislation pertaining to family violence where her key proposals were included in the amendments of the Women’s Charter that later resulted in the introduction of the Personal Protection Order for women who have been domestically abused.

Dr Kanwaljit is also the founding chairperson of the Singapore Chapter of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the founding president of Women’s Initiative for Ageing Successfully (WINGS). Her work at UNIFEM Singapore Chapter championed programmes that aim to alleviate poverty and promote education and healthcare throughout Southeast Asia. Early this year, Dr Kanwaljit wrote and published a book “Silver Shades of Grey” that discusses Ageing with an Asian focus.

Dr Kanwaljit’s remarkable achievements in the medical field as a surgeon, and her services and significant contributions to civil society, have helped her gain numerous recognitions. She was named “Woman of the Year” by Her World Singapore in 1992 and received both the Singapore Medical Association Merit Award and the “Good Samaritan” Award from the Rotary Club of Singapore in 2008. In 2014, she became one of the honoured inductees to the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame, an initiative of the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations that aims to recognise and salute the outstanding women of Singapore in all fields of endeavour.

(Presented in the international conference – Prominent Women in the ASEAN Community, 13 July 2018, Le Meridien Hotel, Bangkok, organized by Institute of Thai Studies and Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University)

Rithisal Kang

Amrita Performing Arts, Cambodia

This paper gives an overview of the evolution of dance in Cambodia, from the classical dance, Robam Boran, to contemporary dance.  The paper highlights two Cambodian female artists, both of whom were trained in the classical form after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime, regarding their creative drive, efforts and challenges that have contributed to the evolving dance scene in Cambodia.

(Presented in the international conference – Prominent Women in the ASEAN Community, 13 July 2018, Le Meridien Hotel, Bangkok, organized by Institute of Thai Studies and Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University)

Panpassa Tubtien

Department of Dramatic Arts, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University

This article aims to analyze the role of Prof Dr Mattani Rutnin in Thai dramatic arts as a scholar and theatre practitioner. Mattani was designated a national artist in Dramatic Arts in 2017. She is the founder of the department of Dramatic Arts and the Faculty of Fine Arts, Thammasat University. In addition, she was one of the first to introduce the art of Western drama to Thailand. Mattani is distinguished in terms of her academic abilities, along with the practitioners. She has shown the ability to blend Western and Eastern cultures. She has also written many articles and texts that are widely cited by academics around the world. Moreover, her work has reflected the context of Thai society in each period, which is a good example for dramatists who focus on the well-being of society and the voice of the people. Although Mattani has been retired for a long time, her knowledge is still used extensively not only by her students who have now become professors in many universities, but also by study of her textbooks and play translations.

(Presented in the international conference – Prominent Women in the ASEAN Community, 13 July 2018, Le Meridien Hotel, Bangkok, organized by Institute of Thai Studies and Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University)

ADVISORS

Prof Dr Bundhit Eua-arporn
   President, Chulalongkorn University

Prof Dr Kiat Ruxrungtham
   Vice President for Research and Innovation, 
   Chulalongkorn University

Asst Prof Dr Pomthong Malakul Na Ayudhaya
   Vice President for Academic Affairs,
   Chulalongkorn University
 
Khunying Rose Boribalburibhand
   Professor Momluang Chirayu – Professor    
   Thanphuying Poonsapaya Navawongs Foundation

CHAIR 

Assoc Prof Dr Suchitra Chongstitvatana
   Director, Institute of Thai Studies, Chulalongkorn University

VICE-CHAIR

Assoc Prof Dr Siridej Sujiva
   Dean, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University

COMMITTEE

Asst Prof Dr Arthit Thongtak
   Deputy Director of Administrative Affairs
   Institute of Thai Studies, Chulalongkorn University

Assoc Prof Ritirong Jiwakanon
   Deputy Director of International Affairs
   Institute of Thai Studies, Chulalongkorn University

Asst Prof Dr Pram Sounsamut
   Deputy Director of Research Affairs
   Institute of Thai Studies, Chulalongkorn University