Thailand Speaker Series: Kanda Vajrabhaya, Chairperson of the UN Commission on the Status of Women

The CSIS Sumitro Chair for Southeast Asia Studies is pleased to host to a Thailand Speaker Series discussion featuring Ms. Kanda Vajrabhaya, chairperson of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. She will share her perspective on women's empowerment and gender equality as part of the post-2015 development agenda, with a specific focus on Thailand.

Kanda has been working in the areas of women's rights and gender equality for more than 20 years. She previous served as deputy permanent secretary of Thailand's Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, where she played a crucial role in supervising the Office of Women's Affairs and Family Development's programs for the advancement of women and gender equality.

Kanda represented Thailand in the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children and served as the commission's chair from 2011 to 2013.She also co-chaired the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Social Welfare and Development, which discussed the empowerment of women and other vulnerable groups as part of the Draft ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint and the Draft Joint Declaration on ASEAN Development Goals.