The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), and Freedom Bridge welcome the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s (CEDAW’s) findings related to Thailand and urge the Thai authorities to fully implement the committee’s recommendations without delay, particularly those regarding women prisoners, women’s political participation, women human right defenders, and the death penalty.
Bangkok, Paris, 17 July 2025. On 7 July 2025, the CEDAW released its findings (known as “concluding observations”) on Thailand following the review of the country’s eighth periodic report under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which took place on 19 June 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland. The CEDAW monitors the implementation of the Convention’s provisions by state parties, including Thailand.
In its concluding observations, the CEDAW expressed concern over women in detention, who are among those who “continue to face intersecting forms of discrimination.” In particular, the committee was concerned by the high number of women prisoners, overcrowding, and the limited access to mental healthcare and insufficient arrangements for pregnant women and mothers. The CEDAW called on the Thai authorities to improve detention conditions for women in line with international standards and ensure adequate access to health and mental health services, and to hygiene items, especially for pregnant and breastfeeding prisoners. In addition, the CEDAW encouraged the implementation of non-custodial measures for drug-related offenses and for pregnant women and mothers with young children.
The CEDAW was also concerned about “the high number of women on death row” and the government’s failure to consider mitigating gender factors in capital cases. The committee recommended Thailand “codify gender-specific factors in capital trials and clemency appeals.” It also urged the government to take the necessary steps to fully abolish the death penalty, establish a moratorium on executions pending its full abolition, and ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), aimed at the abolition of the death penalty.
Regarding the participation in political and public life of women, the CEDAW raised concerns over the underrepresentation of women at all levels of government and reports of gender-based discrimination, stereotypes, harassment, and violence, including online and offline hate speech, directed at women in politics and their families. The CEDAW recommended that Thailand introduce statutory quotas for political parties to achieve gender parity in the nomination of candidates for elections at national, provincial, and local levels, and adopt measures that promote diversity and political participation of women. The committee also called for the prevention and protection of women in politics from acts of gender-based violence.
The CEDAW was “deeply concerned” about the situation of women human rights defenders who had been subjected to acts of violence, sexual harassment, online and offline threats and abuse, and lengthy pre-trial detention. The CEDAW recommended the authorities create “an enabling environment” for women human rights defenders to exercise their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, both offline and online. The committee further urged Thailand to investigate and prosecute all forms of violence, harassment, and intimidation against women human rights defenders and ensure that they are not subjected to criminal charges in connection with their human rights work, including by amending Articles 112 (“lèse-majesté”) and 116 (“sedition”) of Thailand’s Criminal Code as well as the Computer Crimes Act.
The CEDAW findings and recommendations reflected many of those presented by FIDH, TLHR, and Freedom Bridge in their joint submission to the CEDAW and those contained in FIDH’s annual reports concerning prison conditions in Thailand.
