Blog

Human Library: Life as a Female Muay Thai Fighter

In December, I took part in Bangkok’s first Human Library event for UN Women and Bangkok Rising as part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. The Human Library is a unique storytelling concept that began in Copenhagen. It invites the public to ‘unjudge’ others by having open and honest conversations about difficult topics. The ‘books’ are people who have experienced discrimination, violence or marginalization. They tell their stories to audiences in small, Read more

By Under the Ropes, ago

A Feminist’s Guide to Bangkok

This is an updated and extended version of the Feminist City Guide to Bangkok I wrote for Unearth Women earlier this year.  While Thailand is currently the 10th most popular tourist destination in the world, it’s also ranked 83rd in the UN’s Gender Inequality Index. This guide highlights female-led businesses, communities and initiatives in the city. Read on to find out how to spend your time and money to support women in Thailand. What to Read more

By Under the Ropes, ago

A Survivor-Centred Workshop for Thai Police Officers

Vice Consul of the British Embassy Derek Johnstone reached out to me in April 2018 after reading my blog post about my experience of sexual assault. He came across the post while researching the experiences of British rape victims in Thailand, and told me of his plans to improve the embassy’s services to them. The response to the article was mostly from women in the Muay Thai community, many of whom had also been assaulted Read more

By Under the Ropes, ago

The UN Women HeForShe University Tour

I recently had the honour of joining UN Women on the HeForShe University Tour, visiting several universities around Bangkok to campaign against gender inequality and gender-based violence. This tour was the first of its kind in Asia. Each university visit would consist of educational sessions on gender equality, talks by activists and survivors of gender-based violence, and workshops with students. These workshops, called ‘ideathons’ would allow students to brainstorm ways to achieve gender equality on their Read more

By Under the Ropes, ago

Talking Sexism, Rape Culture and Muay Thai at the UN

Of all the places I expected Muay Thai to take me, the United Nations wasn’t one of them. In June, that’s exactly where it led me. I was invited to the UN’s Asia Pacific headquarters to speak, as part of a production of The Vagina Monologues. A few months prior, I’d been chosen as the ‘Vagina Warrior’ for this year’s production of the show in Bangkok. Upon hearing about the show, UN Women invited us Read more

By Under the Ropes, ago

Defining Consent in Thailand

Last year, I wrote a feature for feminist travel magazine Unearth Women‘s Consent Issue. I interviewed Wipaphan ‘Nana’ Wongswawang, founder of ThaiConsent. She talked to me about sexism, rape culture, politics and patriarchy in Thailand. Here’s the article, ‘Defining Consent in Thailand’. You can read a pdf version of the feature or purchase the full magazine issue. Unearth Women describes it as exploring women who are “giving themselves permission to embrace who they are, challenge the industry, shake Read more

By Under the Ropes, ago

Thailand’s Pro Wrestlers

In eight years of living in Thailand, I’d never heard of a local wrestling scene until a couple of months ago. I was at a women’s stand-up comedy night when someone mentioned a local promotion named Gatoh Move. Having recently binged the first two seasons of Glow, I’d become enamoured with the drama and athleticism of wrestling. I jumped at the chance to see what Thailand had to offer its wrestling fans, arranging to attend Read more

By Under the Ropes, ago

Resources for Women in Bangkok – Support for Survivors of Abuse and Domestic Violence

According to a survey last year, 1 in 6 Thai women in heterosexual relationships reported experiencing intimate partner violence. In another survey, 42% said they’d been forced into sexual acts with their boyfriends or husbands. In Thailand, domestic violence is often viewed as a private matter and something that those outside the household shouldn’t interfere with. This stops many Thai women from receiving the assistance they need. For foreigners, the language barrier and unfamiliarity with local Read more

By Under the Ropes, ago