VIII - Knowledge as a Tool: Foundation For Women

Summary

Moonlaniti Phuying, or the Foundation for Women (FFW), is the youngest among the five selected non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Its origin can be traced back to one of its first projects, the Women's Information Centre (WIC), which began in 1984 as an autonomous project operated initially from the borrowed premises of the Friends of Women (FOW). After one year, WIC rented an office for itself, and became an independent organization. Initially, the aim of WIC was to provide advice and counselling to women in the service sector and to those seeking ways to go abroad hoping to find a “better life” there. Two years later, the group expanded its activities to running a shelter for battered wives, preparing teaching modules for women in disadvantaged sectors, and carrying out research work. To put all these projects under one umbrella, the Foundation for Women (FFW) was registered in 1987. The WIC remains one of the main sub-divisions of FFW and is beginning to be known for its analytical strength, publications and critical independence.

Historical Evolution

The key person of FFW and WIC is Siriporn Skrobanek, a committed social worker and an activist scholar. Before forming WIC, Siriporn was one of the founders of FOW and also the Director of a separate project for children, called Baan Tarn Tawan (Sunflower Home), which continues to act as a rehabilitation home for malnourished babies, and provides aid to children and their mothers. Between 1981 to 1983, Siriporn left FOW to pursue a Master's Degree in Women's Studies at the Institute of Social Studies at The Hague. While doing her research on Transnational Sex-Exploitation of Thai Women, she interviewed a number of Thai prostitutes in West Germany, and acquired a better understanding of the dynamics of prostitution there. She felt compelled to share this knowledge with, and to assist, other Thai women, especially those wishing to seek their fortunes abroad. This sense of compulsion arose from Siriporn's own experiences in Germany about the prejudiced opinion of generalizing all Thai women as prostitutes, and the shocking knowledge of how badly Thai prostitutes were being treated.