<p>Prachatai speaks to Mimi, a 17-year-old gender equality activist facing charges for violation of the Emergency Decree and the Public Assembly Act,&nbsp;about the beginning of their activism, life after facing charges for political expression, and the importance of gender justice in the pro-democracy movement.</p>

<p>On 17 May, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOT),&nbsp;LGBTQ rights activist groups organised a candlelight vigil to raise awareness about discrimination against the LGBTQ community, which was worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Women and LGBTQ activists who participated in the 2020 pro-democracy movement are facing gendered harassment and discrimination even from within their own movement, says a new report by the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.</p>

<p>The new abortion law, in which abortion after the 12th week of pregnancy is still a criminal offence, does not respect international human rights principles, says a network of activists and civil society organisations who gathered in front of parliament on 25 January, when the bill was passed by the Senate.</p>

<p>On Wednesday (23 December), the Thai parliament voted to accept the first reading of two bills which amend Sections 301 &ndash; 305 of the Criminal Code, which currently criminalize abortion.</p>

<p>Thai women, members of the LGBTQ community, and pro-democracy protesters joined a Pride parade on Saturday (7 November) to call for equality for all marginalized groups, as well as for Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha&rsquo;s resignation, a new constitution, and monarchy reform.</p>

<p>Women and the LGBT community have joined pro-democracy protests campaigning to abolish patriarchy, gender stereotypes and social norms that marginalize gender equality. They are also collecting signatures for petitions to decriminalize abortion and sex work.</p>

<p>Thai social media has recently focussed on issues of sexual violence and gender equality, sparking a debate about feminist ideas and the goal of the movement. In this interview, five self-identified feminists who have experienced and witnessed gender-based violence and discrimination speak on the feminist movement in Thailand, misconceptions about feminism, and what it actually means to be a feminist.</p>

<p>Thammasat University issued an announcement on Tuesday (9 June), signed by University President Kesinee Vitoonchart, allowing students to dress according to their gender identity as well as prohibiting all staff and faculty members from discriminating against LGBT students.</p>

<p>A network of civil society organizations issued a statement on 29 April calling for an end to online sexual harassment against activists after student activist Sirin Mungcharoen faced a storm of social media attacks, the majority of which can be considered sexual harassment.</p>

<p>10 women journalists shared their experience of working as an investigative journalists and strategies they used in their professional work, from mental health strategies to balancing work and family, and investigating state-sponsored killings, at the 2019 Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Hamburg, Germany, on the conference&rsquo;s only two all-women panels.</p>