23/10/2024 – Thammasat for SDGs

by Thammasat SDG Unit - 23/10/202427/02/2026

Encouraging women in subjects where they are underrepresented

The Girls in ICT Day Thailand 2024

The key objective of Girls in ICT Day Thailand 2024 was to encourage and empower girls and young women to pursue studies and careers in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The event aimed to promote leadership in the digital world and help close the global digital gender divide.

Thammasat University and its students played a direct role in the event’s execution.
Two Thammasat University students from the Faculty of Engineering served as moderators for sessions at the event’s opening ceremony.

The ICT sector is a growing sector for education in both developed and developing countries. This means that qualified female students in technical fields around the world have significant opportunities available to them. These are excellent opportunities in particular for highly skilled girls and young women who are still a minority when it comes to STEM education and careers. Developing initiatives and activities to promote and encourage girls to take up study in STEM and ICT is hence a requirement. To date, over 377,000 girls and young women have (aged 12-24) taken part in more than 11,400 celebrations of International Girls in ICT Day in 171 countries worldwide.

Girls in ICT Day provides an opportunity for girls and young women to see and be exposed to the benefit of ICT in enabling their career and aspiration. Girls in ICT Day Thailand initiative aims to encourage girls and young woman to pursue studying STEM, enhance their level of digital skill, and raise awareness on meaningful and safe use of ICT. Girls in ICT activities will follow the 2023 theme of “Digital Skills for Life.” According to ITU’s latest data, the proportion of women using the Internet globally amounts to 57 per cent, compared to 62 per cent of men. In relative terms, this means that the global Internet use gender gap stands at 8.78 per cent. If women are unable to access the internet and feel unsafe online, they are unable to develop digital skills and participate in digital spaces, diminishing their opportunities to pursue a career in STEM fields.

School of Global Studies, Thammasat University, together with ITU hosted “International Girls in ICT Day – Thailand 2023“ ,under the theme “Digital Skills Seminar on Emerging Technology and Digital Skills”. This seminar aims to deliver basic levels of digital skills training in various areas of ICT, including Emerging Technology and digital skills development, hence, encourage girls and young women to pursue their studies in STEM, enhance their level of digital skills, raise awareness on meaningful and safe use of ICT, and strengthen the Girls in ICT day online community.

The opening ceremony will also introduce the digital skills training programmes that will take place virtually throughout the Girls in ICT Day Thailand 2023 on 27 April 2023. Initiatives included the six digital skills training programs: Leadership Program, Entrepreneurship, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Emerging Technologies towards SDGs, and Technology for Online Challenge that will take place throughout the Girls in ICT Day Thailand 2023 event.

For more information on the “Girls in ICT Day Thailand 2023”, please refer to:

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University Outreach – SIIT hosted an online workshop “The Girl in Control”

Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology (SIIT), Thammasat University, in collaboration with IEEE Control System Society, Thailand Chapter and Srinakharinwirot University Prasarnmit Demonstration School, hosted an online workshop on the topic “The Girl in Control” to provide the fundamental knowledge of engineering concepts.

The primary target group is female high school students and students who have studied the basic principles of control engineering through the online coding learning via Scratch Program.

This online workshop is an international collaboration among members of the IEEE Control System Society worldwide to foster imagination and encourage youth learning about science, technology and engineering. especially girls, to be interested in applying the knowledge gained to the problems in daily life and to pursue further study in the field of engineering.

Encouraging Women in Diplomacy and Leadership

Thammasat University has used outreach efforts to highlight the achievements of its female students participating in national campaigns aimed at fostering future female leaders.

Thammasat University promoted the experience of Nan-Nunthapas Phongwitun, a second-year female student in the Spanish and Latin American Studies (HISLAS) program, who participated in the ‘Ambassador for A Day’ (เยาวชนบนเส้นทางนักการทูต ประจำปี 2567) activity. The ‘Ambassador for A Day’ initiative aims to inspire talented Thai youth to become future leaders by providing them opportunities to experience the work of United Nations agencies and various embassies supporting national development.

With the collaboration with the embassy, the student’s participation involved shadowing the duties of H.E. Ping Kitnikone, the Ambassador of Canada to Thailand, for two days. The student applied for the program after seeing an announcement shared by the UN in Thailand. During her participation, the student was involved in meetings, attended a reception hosted by the Australian Embassy, and participated in an activity celebrating International Women’s Day at UNESCAP.

Focus on Female Role Models:

The TU student noted that the Canadian Ambassador became a personal inspiration, demonstrating how a capable female leader effectively manages both her professional and personal life. This experience helped open the student’s eyes to the world of diplomacy and, specifically, the world of women in the diplomatic sphere.

Addressing Barriers:

Through this experience, the student gained insight into the challenges faced by diplomats who are not men (women and LGBTQ+) due to patriarchal societal structures, but also noted that the growing role of women and LGBTQ+ leaders has led to the creation of Women Empowerment networks, which encourage more women to enter this field.

Women-in-Diplomacy-Apr24

by Thammasat SDG Unit - 23/10/202427/02/2026

Women Applications, Entry and Participation at Thammasat University

Thammasat University is committed to fostering a gender-inclusive and equitable environment for all students, staff, and visitors. We actively work to prevent discrimination and harassment based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability.

We have established several initiatives to increase the number of women applying to and enrolling in Thammasat University programs. Starting from the applications and entry process, Thammasat University has published a notification of policy for women applications and entry “Policy on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination Against Women, LGBT People, and People with Disabilities” addresses in section 3 “Guidelines to Non-discrimination and Gender Equality Promotion”, item #2 which stated that in the recruitment and selection of students for enrollment, admission and scholarship provision, a strong commitment across all disciplines to equality shall be upheld, with a particular focus on encouraging and supporting the application, entry, and recruitment of women, and item#3 which stated that all personnel shall embody the principles of equality and non-discrimination, ensuring that women are not subject to an unequal treatment in recruitment, participation or advancement.

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The policy aims to promote gender equality (SDG5) and reduce inequalities (SDG10) by addressing matters related to the application, acceptance, admission, gender discrimination, and other involvement of women at Thammasat University. All faculties must ensure that the applicants’ qualifications for admission, scholarship, and skill development are not limited by gender.

Our commitment to gender equality extends to all aspects of university life, including education, employment, and social activities. We strive to create a supportive and inclusive atmosphere where women feel safe, respected, and valued.

To achieve our goals and equal opportunities for women applications and entry, we are implementing a comprehensive approach that includes:

Promoting women’s participation:
We are actively working to increase the number of women applying to and enrolling in Thammasat University programs. We are also implementing measures to ensure that women have equal access to academic resources, scholarship opportunities, and support services.
Addressing gender-based barriers:
We are identifying and addressing any barriers that may prevent women from fully participating in university life. This includes addressing issues such as gender-based violence, discrimination, and harassment.
Enhancing women’s participation in leadership positions
Under the policy on “Gender equality and non-discrimination against women, LGBT and people with disabilities” in item #3 states that for job postings, the applicant qualification requirements shall specify educational or skills that correspond with the job description, regardless of the gender, age, maternity, physical status, social status, ethnicity, or social class.
Creating a supportive environment:
We are working to create a supportive and inclusive environment where women feel safe, respected, and empowered to succeed. This includes providing counseling services, mentorship programs, and other resources for women students. We are also working to remove barriers that may prevent women from accessing and participating in university life, such as gender-based violence, discrimination, and harassment.
Collaborating with external partners:
Thammasat explores partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, and other organizations to promote gender equality, to address gender-based discrimination, and to create job opportunities for female students and graduates to equip with skills required for their potential jobs. These partnerships allow us to leverage resources and expertise to achieve our goals.

By taking these steps, Thammasat University is working to create a more just and equitable environment for all members of our community, with a particular focus on empowering women.

Women enrollment statistics

From the year 2019 until 2023, there were 160,788 female students enrolled in the undergraduate and postgraduate degree at Thammasat University which accounted for 64.05% of the total number of students. For the academic year 2023-2024, among 9,498 students starting a degree, 5,963 were women. Similarly, among the 1st generation students starting a degree, 66.1% were women.

Engineers and health science fields are often the subjects that women are underrepresented. The Faculty of Engineer, Thammasat University (TSE), was a pioneer in providing opportunities and promoting diversity and inclusion for women to become successful as much as men in the engineering career. Nowadays, women represented 35% of all students in TSE. New fields and curriculums are open to broaden the potential of women engineer by emphasizing more on soft skills and innovations.