Thailand
GENDER AND COVID-19 VACCINES Listening to women-focused organizations in Asia and the Pacific
More than a year into the coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed across at least 176 countries, with over 1.7 billion doses administered worldwide. Combating the pandemic requires equitable distribution of safe and effective vaccines, however, women and girls are impacted by gaps both in the supply side and the demand side that hamper equitable distribution of the vaccine. Evidence reveals that 75 per cent of all vaccines have gone to just 10 countries, and only 0.3 per cent of doses have been administered in low-income countries. Very few of COVID-19 vaccines are going to those most vulnerable. The vaccine rollout in Asia and the Pacific has been relatively slow and staggered amid secondary waves of the virus. India, despite being the largest vaccine developer, has only vaccinated 3 per cent of the population and continues to battle a variant outbreak that, at its peak, was responsible for more than half of the world’s daily COVID-19 cases and set a record-breaking pace of about 400,000 cases per day.5However, the small Pacific nation of Nauru, reported a world record administering the first dose to 7,392 people, 108 per cent of the adult population within four weeks. Bhutan also set an example by vaccinating 93 per cent of its eligible population in less than two weeks. That success could be at risk, given the situation in India and the suspended export of vaccines. Read More...
CASH AND VOUCHER ASSISTANCE IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
In April 2020, CARE received a five million dollar grant from MARS to implement a multi-country program, including Cote d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Peru, Thailand, and Venezuela1, with the aim of reducing the negative impacts of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations, especially women and girls, using complementary and multimodal approaches. A key activity of this program was the provision of cash and voucher assistance (CVA) to vulnerable populations to meet their diverse basic needs. Program data indicated that CVA was implemented in Cote d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, and Thailand. Monitoring data from different countries showed that CVA was unconditional; with cash modality representing 95% of transfers. Key targets populations for CVA activities vary by country and include: vulnerable households (Cote d’Ivoire, and Haiti); migrants and refugees (Honduras, Ecuador, and Thailand); domestic workers (Guatemala and Ecuador); survivors of GBV and other forms of violence against women (Guatemala and Ecuador); and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer/questioning (LGBTQI+) individuals (Ecuador). Across all projects (or countries), participants reported numerous uses of CVA including purchase foods stuff, payment of health services, hygiene services, rental/housing, savings and livelihoods activities.
Given the nature and scale of this program as well as its organizational commitment to learning, CARE was keen to understand the extent to which the project supported and protected vulnerable populations against the loss or disruption of their livelihoods in a gender sensitive manner. The study seeks to provide open-source learnings for peer
companies and agencies on how CVA was utilized in this program with two major questions: (i) How gender sensitive was the process for CARE’s CVA? (ii) How gender sensitive was the intended outcome of CARE’s CVA?
This documentation report compiles lessons from across the projects implemented in the targeted countries and draws from the diversity of their experiences to provide some recommendations on more gender sensitive CVA in the future. Read More...
Given the nature and scale of this program as well as its organizational commitment to learning, CARE was keen to understand the extent to which the project supported and protected vulnerable populations against the loss or disruption of their livelihoods in a gender sensitive manner. The study seeks to provide open-source learnings for peer
companies and agencies on how CVA was utilized in this program with two major questions: (i) How gender sensitive was the process for CARE’s CVA? (ii) How gender sensitive was the intended outcome of CARE’s CVA?
This documentation report compiles lessons from across the projects implemented in the targeted countries and draws from the diversity of their experiences to provide some recommendations on more gender sensitive CVA in the future. Read More...
Regional Mekong Rapid Gender Analysis COVID-19
COVID-19 has created unprecedented health, economic, and social impacts all over the world. As of 31 August 2020, there have been 25,405,845 confirmed cases globally, and a total of 849,389 deaths. In the Mekong region, there have been 5,612 cases, with 274 in Cambodia, 22 in Lao PDR, 882 in Myanmar, 3,390 in Thailand and 1,044 in Viet Nam. In addition to health effects and deaths caused by the virus, the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 and prevention measures taken by governments are far reaching and long-lasting, especially in the context of climate change and natural disasters in the region.
For the Mekong region, COVID-19 presents special challenges for high-risk populations, including the many migrant workers, garment industry workers, indigenous and ethnic minorities, refugees, internally displaced peoples, migrants, urban slum-dwellers, and people working in the informal sector, such as female sex workers. As with all crises, women and children are disproportionately affected. COVID-19 exacerbates the challenges at-risk populations face and makes it even harder for women to access the support services they need in times of crisis.
This brief summarises the Mekong RGA, written by Athena Nguyen, Jordan Hoffmann, Laura Baines, Ratha Ra, Rebecca Elias, and Christina Haneef in September 2020. This Rapid Gender Analysis draws from 301 interviews (including 126 women), secondary data sources, and CARE’s research to understand women’s specific challenges in the Mekong region during the pandemic. Read More...
For the Mekong region, COVID-19 presents special challenges for high-risk populations, including the many migrant workers, garment industry workers, indigenous and ethnic minorities, refugees, internally displaced peoples, migrants, urban slum-dwellers, and people working in the informal sector, such as female sex workers. As with all crises, women and children are disproportionately affected. COVID-19 exacerbates the challenges at-risk populations face and makes it even harder for women to access the support services they need in times of crisis.
This brief summarises the Mekong RGA, written by Athena Nguyen, Jordan Hoffmann, Laura Baines, Ratha Ra, Rebecca Elias, and Christina Haneef in September 2020. This Rapid Gender Analysis draws from 301 interviews (including 126 women), secondary data sources, and CARE’s research to understand women’s specific challenges in the Mekong region during the pandemic. Read More...
Raks Thai Rapid Gender Analysis Gendered Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Migrants in Thailand
Although a number of reports on migrants have recently been released, these have mostly been based on secondary data and stakeholder perspectives, whereas this study aims to give voice to migrants through primary data collection and seeks to provide migrants an opportunity to directly addresses their struggle during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this Rapid Gender Analysis utilizes a qualitative methodology to identify the differing impact on male and female migrants.
Being away from home during this pandemic, migrants in Thailand are likely to lack access to support services. Furthermore, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to affect migrant women disproportionately due to harmful gender norms of the host country. Read More...
Being away from home during this pandemic, migrants in Thailand are likely to lack access to support services. Furthermore, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to affect migrant women disproportionately due to harmful gender norms of the host country. Read More...
Youth Leadership Development (YLD) Ayutthaya (Central) & Rayong (East) of Thailand
NISSAN MOTORCO., LTD. through CARE International Japan (CIJ), supports the project entitled Youth Leadership Development (YLD). The overall goal of the YLD project is to build a better society through successful people with social consciousness, good livelihoods and social skills. As such, the YLD program contributes toward developing children/youth, particularly girls, with the following qualities:
1) Understanding the big picture of sustainable development and good citizenship;
2) Acquiring attitudes and actions of helping others, protecting the environment and working as teams;
3) Acquiring leadership qualities of team building, self-esteem, confidence, analytical and decision-making skills, and management for action;
4) Acquiring occupational skills and experience in initiating and/or engaging in a micro-business activity including technical fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – STEM). Read More...
1) Understanding the big picture of sustainable development and good citizenship;
2) Acquiring attitudes and actions of helping others, protecting the environment and working as teams;
3) Acquiring leadership qualities of team building, self-esteem, confidence, analytical and decision-making skills, and management for action;
4) Acquiring occupational skills and experience in initiating and/or engaging in a micro-business activity including technical fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – STEM). Read More...
Where the Rain Falls Phase III (2017 – 2019): Final Evaluation Report
In 2009, the Where the Rain Falls (WtRF) initiative started as a three-year research project investigating the impact of rainfall variability on food and livelihood security, and migration.
This research culminated in a global policy report (2012) and the development of more action-oriented community-based adaptation (CBA) pilot projects in each India, Thailand and Bangladesh. A second phase (2014 – 2016), and later a third phase (2017 – 2019), aimed to scale results, impacts and lessons learned to date for broader support for, and uptake of, CBA methods and approaches.
In October 2019, CARE France engaged an International Consultant to lead WtRF’ first multi-county evaluation. As per the Terms of Reference (TORs) for this evaluation (see Annex IV) the main objectives of the evaluation are two-fold:
(i) to assess the degree of achievement of the WtRF global and specific objectives in India and Thailand respectively; and
(ii) to extract common and/or comparable lessons learned about factors contributing to and hindering achievements (e.g. barriers and enablers) Read More...
This research culminated in a global policy report (2012) and the development of more action-oriented community-based adaptation (CBA) pilot projects in each India, Thailand and Bangladesh. A second phase (2014 – 2016), and later a third phase (2017 – 2019), aimed to scale results, impacts and lessons learned to date for broader support for, and uptake of, CBA methods and approaches.
In October 2019, CARE France engaged an International Consultant to lead WtRF’ first multi-county evaluation. As per the Terms of Reference (TORs) for this evaluation (see Annex IV) the main objectives of the evaluation are two-fold:
(i) to assess the degree of achievement of the WtRF global and specific objectives in India and Thailand respectively; and
(ii) to extract common and/or comparable lessons learned about factors contributing to and hindering achievements (e.g. barriers and enablers) Read More...
Chiva Pa Doi Project Endline Report
Chiva Pa Doi (meaning “the heart of the highlands”) is a project implemented by CARE in Thailand since 2014, with the financial assistance of the Chanel Foundation, in support to women empowerment and entrepreneurship in remote villages in the highlands of Northern Thailand.
Through this project, conducted in 10 villages of Galayani Vadhana, Mae Chaem, and Om Koi Districts of Chiang Mai province, CARE supported close to 187 individuals (182 women and 5 men) to design and implement income-generating activities, while building their capacities to run businesses and conceive marketing strategies. The initial hypothesis was that through this approach, the beneficiaries would ultimately diversity their sources of income and therefore improve their overall financial stability and wellbeing. The project also aimed to enhance women empowerment by building their capacity so that they can gain self-confidence, contribute increasingly their household’s incomes and have a greater say in household and community level decision making. [31 pages]
Read More...
Through this project, conducted in 10 villages of Galayani Vadhana, Mae Chaem, and Om Koi Districts of Chiang Mai province, CARE supported close to 187 individuals (182 women and 5 men) to design and implement income-generating activities, while building their capacities to run businesses and conceive marketing strategies. The initial hypothesis was that through this approach, the beneficiaries would ultimately diversity their sources of income and therefore improve their overall financial stability and wellbeing. The project also aimed to enhance women empowerment by building their capacity so that they can gain self-confidence, contribute increasingly their household’s incomes and have a greater say in household and community level decision making. [31 pages]
Read More...
Stop TB and AIDS through RTTR (STAR): Program Report
The program goal is to end AIDS in Thailand by 2030 (reducing annual new infections to below 1,000 cases (from the current 8,134 estimated new infections annually)) and to reduce the prevalence of TB from 159 per 100,000 to 120 per 100,000 between 2015 and 2019. From 1 October 2016 to 30 September 2017, the program performed outstandingly over the target in three indicators of MSW, FSW and MW reached with HIV prevention program. The percentage of result over target reported at 115.58%, 120.40%, and 119.83% consecutively. Overachieving results of these indicators described as following:
i) For MSW, the program could exceed the reach target because SRs conducting BCC workshop in
bar. At the workshop, SR introduced knowledge and information of HIV prevention including HIV,
VCCT, STIs, TB, PrEP, and PEP. Condom and lubricant were made available for MSWs. SR MPLUS
targeted non-venue based MSW who work around the public park in Chiang Mai. The online
application was also used as a channel to reach non venue-based MSWs. The SRs conducted
face-to-face individual talk for the online-reached MSWs. HIV Testing Center (HTC) operated by
SRs could offer additional service of syphilis testing to MSWs.
ii) For FSW, the outstanding performance of resulting from the high season for tourism in Thailand.
SR SWING engaged with employers and organized outreach session in bar before FSWs started
working. The SR reached out to new FSW area in Surawong.
iii) For MW, SRs reached performance were access the target resulting from combination HIV-TB
service provided to migrants in community and at workplace. SR STM started engaging
employers of FSWs at the border of Songkhla. [20 pages] Read More...
i) For MSW, the program could exceed the reach target because SRs conducting BCC workshop in
bar. At the workshop, SR introduced knowledge and information of HIV prevention including HIV,
VCCT, STIs, TB, PrEP, and PEP. Condom and lubricant were made available for MSWs. SR MPLUS
targeted non-venue based MSW who work around the public park in Chiang Mai. The online
application was also used as a channel to reach non venue-based MSWs. The SRs conducted
face-to-face individual talk for the online-reached MSWs. HIV Testing Center (HTC) operated by
SRs could offer additional service of syphilis testing to MSWs.
ii) For FSW, the outstanding performance of resulting from the high season for tourism in Thailand.
SR SWING engaged with employers and organized outreach session in bar before FSWs started
working. The SR reached out to new FSW area in Surawong.
iii) For MW, SRs reached performance were access the target resulting from combination HIV-TB
service provided to migrants in community and at workplace. SR STM started engaging
employers of FSWs at the border of Songkhla. [20 pages] Read More...
Improving Harm Reduction Program in Thailand: An Assessment of the STOP TB and AIDS Through RRTTR (STAR) Program
Thailand continues to experience significant health and social challenges associated with illicit drug use, including injection drug use. Rates of infectious diseases among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Thailand remain high, and access to evidence-based addiction treatments remain low. This is due in part to Thailand’s continued emphasis on drug law enforcement, and the adverse impacts such emphasis has on the delivery of essential healthcare to people who use drugs. At this time, Thailand is also experiencing a growth in non-injection amphetaminetype substance (ATS) use, which has created new challenges. [38 pages] Read More...
Assessment to improve the Harm Reduction Program
Since 2015, Raks Thai Foundation is the PR under the NFM. Under their Stop TB and AIDS through RRTTR (STAR) Programme, the Harm Reduction program is active in 12 provinces, providing 14 dropin centers (DICs), outreach activities, distribution of needles and syringes, information packages and condoms, referral to HIV and STI testing and treatment and other health services and referrals to Methadone maintenance treatment for PWIDs. The service providers are RTF with two DICs, O-Zone with 8 DICs, and Thai Drug Users Network (TDN) with 4 DICs. NSP is only available in the DICs and through outreach of these centers; the number of NSP has been reduced due to the close down of DICs and the termination of partnerships with local pharmacies under the NFM. The number of needles distributed per person per year is 144. According to program data from RTF, the Harm Reduction program is reaching about 7,000-9,000 PWID per year in the 12 provinces or around 16-20% of the national estimate of PWID in need of Harm Reduction services. [29 pages] Read More...