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Her Voice

“ Breaking the Silence: Voice of Women Who Inspire ”

Women entrepreneurs in Thailand often face a complex web of challenges as they strive to grow their businesses. Social norms, cultural expectations, and the weight of family caregiving responsibilities can limit their time, resources, and opportunities. Yet, despite these barriers, they continue to innovate, create, and support their communities—demonstrating extraordinary resilience and determination.

Rural Women Entrepreneurs: The Backbone of Sustainable Growth

Rural women entrepreneurs are women who run their own businesses in rural areas — from farming and handicrafts to small enterprises and community ventures. These women are recognized as key “actors” for driving sustainable development at the grassroots level.
The United Nations calls rural women
“ critical drivers of development ”

and for good reason. When we empower rural women entrepreneurs, we unlock better lives for families, stronger communities, and a more productive economy for the entire country.1

The impact of rural women entrepreneurs goes far beyond their own households. Research shows that women-led businesses boost family income, improve quality of life, and give women the economic independence they deserve.2

Even more inspiring ...

women reinvest up to

90%

of their earnings back into their families and communities,
compared to just

30–40%

for men.3

This reinvestment fuels better nutrition, education for children, and improved health for both the young and elderly, creating a ripple effect of positive change across generations.

Why These Women?

Every woman faces constraints of limited resources, heavy household responsibilities, and social norms that can hold back their dreams and potential. These challenges are not just individual struggles, but reflections of broader structural inequalities that persist across developing societies

especially for women who shoulder a “double burden” of caregiving and income generation, often with little access to opportunities for personal growth or leadership.

Step into the shoes of these women entrepreneurs and see why their voices matter

Echoes from the Margins

ECHOES FROM THE MARGINS

Navigating Patriarchy and Preserving Ethnic Identity through Hmong Embroidery

LISTEN TO HERS

Nongluk
Yanghansirikun

President of the Kiew Doi Luang Hmong Embroidery Group, Chiang Khong District, Chiang Rai Province

The Silent Burden

THE SILENT BURDEN

The Sandwich Generation and Lives of Unending Responsibility

LISTEN TO HERS

Phawinee
Chaino

Member of the Ban Prachaphiwat Rattan Weaving Group, Chiang Khong District, Chiang Rai Province

From Moscow to Ban Khia

FROM MOSCOW TO BAN KHIA

A Community Enterprise Leader’s Devotion to Local Development and the Enhancement of Thai Herbal Products

LISTEN TO HERS

Thanawan
Boonkrapphuang

President of the Ban Khia Herbal Community Enterprise, Chiang Khong District, Chiang Rai Province

Boundless Dreams

BOUNDLESS DREAMS

Creating Safe Spaces for Women in Thailand’s Deep South

LISTEN TO HERS

Pateemoh
Poh-itaeda-oh

Founder of We Peace Association and WPS Coffee, Mueang District, Yala Province

References

1. Robertobandieri. 2013. The role of women in rural development, food production and poverty eradication. https://url.in.th/WvvjO. Retrieved on August 6, 2025.

2. UNESCAP. 2017. Fostering Women’s Entrepreneurship in ASEAN. https://url.in.th/jHJVE. Retrieved on August 6, 2025.

3. Priyanka Varma. 2024. Why Investing in Women Benefits us All. Center for International Development, Harvard University. https://url.in.th/gjTti. Retrieved on August 6, 2025.

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