KUALA LUMPUR: Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said that her country will continue to promote and develop the role of women in the country. Speaking ahead of Women's Day celebrations on August 1, the PM said that her government was allocating a number of funds for the development of women “in all provinces and each province will initially receive 20 million baht for this purpose.” A ceremony to launch the project was held Tuesday at the Impact Convention Centre in Muang Thong Thani on the outskirts of Bangkok that saw some 10,000 members of women's organizations present, the Thai News Agency reported. In her remarks, the PM said she was honored to be the first female Thai prime minister and pledged to promote the roles of Thai women “locally and internationally, and to enhance their capabilities by letting them work side by side with men.” She referred to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, who declared every August 1 as Thai Women's Day, as a “role model for all Thai women.” “Many Thai women are capable and they should have opportunities to play leading roles locally and internationally,” said Yingluck. “The provincial funds are aimed at creating jobs and activities for local women and to enable them to participate in politics and administration.”
