4 October2022Editor NoteThailand has higher percentage of Women in Top Management Roles than APAC & Global CounterpartsThe South East Asian region is caught in a living breathing dichotomy. On one hand the region is progressing rapidly in terms of technology & business yet it remains caught in the shackles of age old beliefs & traditions. While a nation's traditional heritage is of great significance for the region's identity yet there is no place for millennia old gender stereotypes in today's modern age. Case in point is Thailand and women's role in the nation's progress. According to reports, Thai women form 45.92 percent of the total labor force in the country in 2021. The country is also home to the second largest percentage of women in senior management roles as stated by Credit Suisse Research Institute. Thailand also ranks first globally in terms of women's representation as Chief Financial Officer. The Credit Suisse Research Institutesurvey revealed that the senior leadership position held by women in Thailand the most is Chief Financial Officer which contributes to fully 43 percent, a number much ahead of its other global counterparts.Going beyond the business world, Thai women also play major roles across industries and sectors such as politics, medicine, engineering and science. Not only this, they also take up blue collar jobs that require manual physical labor with great ease. This only goes to highlight the underlying courage and capability of Thai women. However the other side of picture shows that a majority of Thai women are still primary caregivers for children and the elderly. Women are still expected to manage households much like in other nations.The need of the hour is true equality. The good news is that a majority of Thai companies are open to the change and are also proactively working towards achieving it. According to a Grant Thornton survey, several Thai mid-market businesses are working towards achieving equality; 69 percent of respondents agreed that `they are actively working to improve their gender balance'. The survey also zeroed in on the most common initiatives being undertaken by companies to move towards an equitable workforce. The primary solution is to enable flexible working followed by creating an inclusive culture and lastly ensuring equal access to developmental opportunities. With such initiatives in place, the day is not far when Thailand will set as a global precedent in terms of creating an equitable and truly inclusive work force. Read on and do let us know your thoughts. Rachita SharmaManaging Editor
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