Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Analysis (Thailand, 2025)

This Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Analysis Study Report, produced for Save the Children Thailand’s Creating an Inclusive and Transformative Youth-Led Climate Action Movement (CINTALAM) project, addresses the critical challenges in Thailand’s Southern Border Provinces (SBPs) where the mutually reinforcing effects of climate change, conflict, and gender inequality negatively affect marginalized communities. The study was undertaken to identify inequalities and dismantle barriers to equitable participation, promoting social justice within the CINTALAM framework. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach, key findings indicate that women, especially those who are widows or single mothers, bear triple burdens related to uneven household labour, income generation, and crisis volunteering, leading to significantly higher debt compared to men, exacerbated by unequal land ownership and prevailing gender stereotypes. Structural gaps persist, including the insufficient integration of national gender equality mechanisms (like the Chief Gender Equality Officer (CGEO) and Gender Focal Point (GFP) into local climate policies, alongside a lack of systematic gender-disaggregated data. To enhance resilience, adaptation, and mitigation capacity in the SBPs, the report provides comprehensive recommendations aimed at strengthening gender integration in climate solutions and women’s empowerment (including implementing a minimum 30% gender quota and supporting vulnerable groups like Indigenous and LGBTQ+ individuals), fostering green economies as alternative sources of income, and enhancing the capacity of local institutions for effective environmental governance and disaster preparedness through culturally sensitive and gender-responsive health solutions.