Mallica Vajrathon (born 1936) is a sociologist, political scientist and former United Nations Senior Staff member. Her grandfather was Joseph Caulfield James, a special tutor to Prince Vajiravudh of Thailand (who later became King), as well being second Chairman of the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. [1] Her father was T. Vajrathon of The Bangkok Electric Authority of Thailand and her mother is Malee James Vajrathon. Vajrathon was married to Irish writer Erskine B. Childers.
Born in Bangkok, she is the eldest daughter of a large multi-cultural family. She went to grade school at Mater Dei School run by the Ursulines. She continued her studies at Chulalongkorn University of Bangkok, Southern Illinois University, the Sorbonne and Cornell. As an alumna, Vajrathon has received numerous awards and honors. Among them, the Saint Angela Award for Outstanding Service to the Community, 2002, from Mater Dei Institute and the Outstanding Graduate Award in International Affairs, 1989 from Chulalongkorn University.
She is one of the highest-ranking United Nations civil servants from Thailand. With more than 32 years of service, she began her UN career as an intern at the organization's headquarters in New York City, US. In 1960, upon returning to Thailand, Vajrathon was recruited by UNICEF. In 1968, she worked with Erskine B. Childers in a "pioneering" project in Development Support Communication. [2] During her work for UNICEF in Thailand and Indonesia, she was asked to take numerous photographs which were published in two books by Judith Spiegelman,. [3] [4] In 1975, she returned to New York to work in UNFPA as a communications officer with Rafael M. Salas. In the early 1980s, Vajrathon was asked to contribute to the Thailand section of the now famous book, the International Women's Movement Anthology: Sisterhood is Global by Robin Morgan. Known to be an outspoken advocate of women's rights, she was the editor of Equal Time, a publication of the group on equal rights for women in the United Nations.
Vajrathon was selected by the Secretary General of the Fourth World Conference on Women [5] to be Principal Advisor for the preparation of the conference from 1993-1995.
Chulalongkorn University, nicknamed Chula, is a public and autonomous research university in Bangkok, Thailand. The university was originally founded during King Chulalongkorn's reign as a school for training royal pages and civil servants in 1899 at the Grand Palace of Thailand. It was later established as a national university in 1917, making it the oldest institute of higher education in Thailand.
Education in Thailand is provided mainly by the Thai government through the Ministry of Education from pre-school to senior high school. A free basic education of fifteen years is guaranteed by the Thai constitution.
Shirley Graham Du Bois was an American-Ghanaian writer, playwright, composer, and activist for African-American causes, among others. She won the Messner and the Anisfield-Wolf prizes for her works.
Princess Bajrakitiyabha, the Princess Rajasarini Siribajra is a Thai princess and diplomat of Thailand, the first grandchild of King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit of Thailand, and the only one of the seven children of King Maha Vajiralongkorn born to his first wife Princess Soamsawali.
Rangsit Prayurasakdi, Prince of Chai Nat was the Thai Founder of the Public Health Ministry and as Regent of Thailand.
Erskine Barton Childers was an Irish writer, BBC correspondent and United Nations senior civil servant. He was the eldest son of Erskine Hamilton Childers and Ruth Ellen Dow Childers. His grandparents Mary Alden Childers and Robert Erskine Childers and the latter's double first cousin Robert Barton were all Irish nationalists involved heavily with the negotiation of Irish independence; which ultimately led to his grandfather's execution during the Irish Civil War. His great aunt was Gretchen Osgood Warren.
Pasuk Phongpaichit is a Thai economist. A professor at Chulalongkorn University, she is the author of several books on corruption in Thailand.
Than Phu Ying Dhasanawalaya Sornsongkram, née Dhasanawalaya Ratanakul Serireongrit, is the only daughter of Galyani Vadhana, Princess of Naradhiwas and niece of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and elder cousin of King Vajiralongkorn.
Vimalachatra, was a Princess of Thailand and member of the Thai Royal Family, a granddaughter of King Chulalongkorn. She was one of the longest-living royal personages in Thailand.
Sodsai Pantoomkomol née Vanijvadhana is a Thai actress and teacher of dramatic arts. Also known as Sondi Sodsai from her acting career in the United States during her studies, she returned to Thailand to become a lecturer and associate professor at the Faculty of Arts of Chulalongkorn University, where she founded the Dramatic Arts Department, the first such school in the country. She produced numerous theatrical works throughout her career, and was named National Artist in 2011.
Dara Rasami, was a princess of Chiang Mai and Siam and the daughter of King Inthawichayanon of Chiang Mai and Queen Thip Keson of Chiang Mai descended from the Chet Ton Dynasty. She was one of the princess consorts of Chulalongkorn, King Rama V of Siam and gave birth to one daughter by King Chulalongkorn, Princess Vimolnaka Nabisi.
Feminism in Thailand is perpetuated by many of the same traditional feminist theory foundations, though Thai feminism is facilitated through a medium of social movement activist groups within Thailand's illiberal democracy. The Thai State claims to function as a civil society with an intersectionality between gender inequality and activism in its political spheres.
Khun Nilawan Pintong was a Thai feminist whose efforts toward the development of women's rights in Thailand earned her the title Steel Lotus Blossom. She is best known as the founder of the Ounakorn Center and Satree Sarn Magazine, Thailand's first women's magazine which aimed to inspire women to have active participation in community affairs. In 1961, she is also the first Thai recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service. The award was given for her role in giving "Thai women a new and creative role in nation-building." The award included $10,000, a gold medal and a certificate given to her and the other recipients.
Rima Salah is currently the chair of the Early Childhood Peace Consortium (ECPC) and is an assistant clinical professor at the Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine.
Mom Luang Boonlua Debyasuvarn née Kunchon, writing under the pen name Boonlua, was a Thai writer, educator and civil servant. She is considered to have been one of Thailand's most important educators during a crucial phase of that country's modernization.
Kotchakorn Voraakhom is a Thai landscape architect and chief executive officer of Porous City Network, a social enterprise that looks to increase urban resilience in Southeast Asia. She is also the founder of the Koungkuey Design Initiative, which works with communities to rebuild public spaces. She campaigns for more green space in cities and is a 2018 TED fellow.
Thip Keson or Thep Kraison, was the wife of Inthawichayanon of Chiang Mai, She was the mother of Dara Rasmi, who became a consort of Siam's fifth Chakri monarch, Chulalongkorn.
Thanphuying Poonsapaya Navawongs na Ayudhya was a Thai educator. She was a professor at Chulalongkorn University, where she founded the Faculty of Education and was its first dean, and contributed extensively to the development of teacher education and education administration in Thailand. She has been recognized as one of the foremost contributors to education in the country.
Sarah Garap is a prominent community development worker and human rights activist in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Paetongtarn Shinawatra is a Thai politician and businesswoman. A member of the Shinawatra political family, she is the youngest daughter and niece of the two former Thai prime ministers Thaksin and Yingluck, respectively. She is serving as the Pheu Thai Party's chairwoman of the Advisory Committee on Participation and Innovation.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
