Page 58 - งานเชิดชูเกียรติผู้หญิงนักปกป้องสิทธิมนุษยชนวันสตรีสากล 2561

“My intention is to help the victims. I’ve been through the
same expereince. I was just like them. But nobody has ever listened
to me. So, I told them my story. I wanted them to realize their rights
and to encourage them to fight. They can do it, but the process will

take time.”
Almost 20 years ago, Pana unknowingly became a mistress.
Before getting married, the man whom she had been living with told her
that he had already divorced from his previous wife In fact, he signed
the marriage certificate with another women prior to marrying Pana.
After the argument, she was forced to leave the house. She
felt ashamed until she met a staff from the private organization who
assisted her. “My whole life was ruined. I felt so ashamed. So, I went
to “Friends of Women Foundation” where I discovered the story of

other women. On my first day, there was a case of woman stabbing her
husband to death because he abused her and the child. This made me
realize that my problem was actually smaller than what it seemed”
said Pana.
“Pana” told us that women who have been abused would often
lose their ability to take care of themselves. For example, a pregnant
woman would either commit suicide or run away. When she found

out about the organization working to support women, she wanted to
be a part of it.
Years later, Pana became a full time “volunteer” at Social Equal-
ity Promotion Foundation. She provides counseling and supports to
victims in various cases of violence and abuse. “If the case involves a
lawsuit, we have to assure the victimes and encourage them to stay
strong until they overcome this issue.”
“The Foundation will facilitate different kinds of people to
talk to the victims, including survivors, victims who are in the middle

57