In all too many societies, outright oppression of women continues to be perpetuated in the name of religion, culture or tradition. The most basic principle of human rights, that all human beings are created equally and with dignity, has not yet become universally accepted - let alone equal opportunity and legal protection.

Looking back over the past several decades, it may be true that women have come a long way, but there remain great disparities in the pace and scope of progress among different countries with different levels of political, economic and social development. And within societies, too, such progress can be decidedly uneven, depending on economic and social standing or the religious milieu in which women find themselves.

As for the status of women and gender-related issues in Thailand, although we as a society have achieved dramatic advancement over the years, there is much still to be done. In comparison with other countries that have comparable levels of economic and social development, our Kingdom may indeed be doing quite well in taking care of a significant half of our populace. One of the most recent advancements in women's status here is the right to retain their family name after marriage. But still there are circumstances in which many women and girls continue to be subjected to varying degrees of degradation, cruelty and dehumanising exploitation.

There is no lack of effort to promote women's advancement in this country. The 9th National Economic and Social Development Plan, covering 2002-06, seeks to enhance women's participation at all levels of decision-making, promote equality and social protection, increase the impact of the mass media in promoting women's issues and develop organisational and administrative managerial mechanisms for such issues.

Out of a total population of some 65 million, slightly more than half is female. Yet the proportion of women in the political field is much lower than it should be; only about 10 per cent of the country's parliamentarians and holders of high public office are women. Our country needs to do much more in the political and public arenas, perhaps by developing more systematic collection of data and introducing quotas and targets for the number of women in public service and holding elected office. As it stands now, women's issues are rarely ever raised, let alone discussed by male-dominated legislatures.

Although the Constitution has enshrined equal rights for both women and men from all social and economic backgrounds, our criminal law still does not provide for the punishment of husbands who rape their wives. The commercial exploitation of women and underage children in the country's sex industry also continues to give the lie to Thailand's supposed commitment to improving the status of women.

The dire and persistent poverty in neighbouring countries, as well as in Thailand's own countryside, has contributed to problems with people-trafficking and the modern slave trade, one of the worst crimes against humanity. The government has implemented a range of measures to combat the problem, albeit with limited effectiveness, due to widespread corruption among our law-enforcement officials.

This state of affairs should serve as a constant reminder that progress in women's rights is everyone's business, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religious creed or social custom. The biggest challenge is compelling whole societies - men and women, young and old - to shake off their apathy, engage in public debate and become inspired to take both personal and collective action to combat ignorance, prejudice and unthinking adherence to religious and social customs that keep women down.