Ensuring the rights of Thai women living in Sweden

The Thai Women in Sweden Empowerment (ThaiWISE) Project was established in September 2019 as a collaboration between Noomi-Hela Människanin Malmö and the Malmö Municipality, with the financial support of the Royal Thai Embassy Stockholm, the Swedish Gender Equality Agency, Malmö Municipality and National Board of Health and Welfare.

Designed and managed by RCG’s Panadda Changmanee, ThaiWISE aims to reduce labour exploitation and victimization of Thai women in Sweden, particularly for those working in the Thai massage industry.

The project aims to increase awareness of Thai women in Sweden of their rights and the protections and services available to them under Swedish law. The project also works to raise awareness among policymakers and operational authorities — including public-facing law enforcement personnel — of the issues faced by vulnerable populations, as well as advocating for relevant policy enforcement.

To date, ThaiWISE’s key activities include:

Online courses for Thais moving to Sweden, to enable smooth integration into Swedish society;

Counselling and assistance through the ThaiWISE Call Centre;

Information dissemination through the ThaiWISE website and social media platforms;

Evidence-based research;

Swedish language classes, e.g. Pre-SFI course, SFI course for Thais;

Outreach to Thai massage parlours in Malmö;

A Certification Program for Ethical Nuad Thai Businesses;

Quarterly Nuad Thai Newsletters.

The project has been well-received among the Thai community in Malmö, and has quickly drawn support from leaders within the Thai community, local authorities in Malmö, the Royal Thai Embassy to Sweden, and the Swedish Embassy to Thailand.