San May Khine organizes a session on violence against women migrant workers, trafficking in persons and the rights of women migrant workers in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Photo courtesy of San May Khine
Women migrants in Thailand are stopping trafficking and gender-based violence in their communities with the UN Women-supported Safe and Fair Program.
“I see my past in them. I know they have unlimited, yet unrealized, potential because of what women are ‘supposed to be’. While the COVID-19 pandemic is a difficult time for everyone, it is extremely difficult for women who have had to stay within abusive relationships. I’ve seen an increase in the number of cases of violence, and also an increase in the intensity violence,” Khine shared.
Economic empowerment influences a women's options in response to violence. Migration can be a life-changing experience, yet migrant workers are at risk for human trafficking and gender-based violence. San May Khine, a social worker in Thailand who was once a migrant worker herself, is supporting her fellow women migrant workers to move past experiences of violence and build a stable and bright future in a COVID-19 world.
