Dr._Saisuree_Chutikul__Influential_Leader

Dr. Saisuree Chutikul: Influential Leader G. Steele 8/28/10 My final report is inspired by Dr. Saisuree Chutikul, a world leading voice in the fight against human trafficking and the protection of women and children’s rights. Her life and career shows how she used many leadership traits, styles and teams, to create laws, action groups, and shape global policy. Biography Dr. (Mrs.) Saisuree Chutikul was born on March 2, 1935 in Bangkok, Thailand. She studied in the US and her Educational background includes a B.A. in Music (cum laude) and a B.Ed from Whitworth College, Spokane, Washington, a M.S. in Educational Administration and Ed.D in Educational Psychology and Guidance from Indiana University, and a Certificate from the National Defense College, Ministry of Defense (Thailand). Her current positions are numerous and include: Member of the National Commission on Women’s Affairs, Member of the National Education Commission; Chairperson of the Committee on Eradication of Trafficking in Children and Women; and Chairperson of the Task Force on Revision of Laws related to the Rights of the Child. Past positions in Thailand include: Cabinet minister (1991-1992), responsible for children, youth, women, education and social development, Senator (1996-2000), also chairing the Standing Senate Committee on Women, Children and Youth and the Elderly, and Member of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)(1989-2000). Actually the list is a lot longer, her background is amazing. As you can see, she has dedicated her life to the rights of woman and children and has been part of every possible group or team that has given more visibility and enacted laws to combat these issues. The Problem Thailand is a source and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation. Thailand’s „relative“ prosperity attracts immigrants from neighboring countries who are fleeing conditions of poverty and repression. Once in the country the undocumented immigrants are trafficked for forced labor in fishing-related industries, factories, agriculture, construction, domestic work, and begging. Women and children are trafficked from Burma, Cambodia, Laos, China, Vietnam, Russia, and Uzbekistan for commercial sexual exploitation in Thailand (please see attached map in Reference section). But what is human trafficking' According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) there are five elements to the internationally approved definition of human trafficking (U.S. State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2009) : • recruitment; false job offers, kidnapping or the purchase of human beings. • physical transportation of trafficked persons. • physical or psychological coercion and/or deception involved in offers of work. • exploitation of work done as a final objective. • absence of informed consent. But that is not the true problem. There are laws (enacted 50 years ago) against such crimes but they are not enforced. Why' ''A good law is often not enforced because of deep prejudices'' Human rights lawyer Siriwan said. ''We cannot expect the problem of slavery to go away unless we tackle our own prejudices that endorse the exploitation.'' (Humantrafficking.org, 2007) Thailand is listed as the center of human trafficking. With help and vision of Dr. Chutikul they are drafting an anti-human trafficking bill which will also punish the use of slave labor. So how does one tackle the prejudices' How does a person change years of what is thought by many as „normal“ behavior towards women, children and migrants' How do you fight the system' Great vision, evidence-based leadership and strategic decision making. Leadership in Action After seeing first hand the trafficking and slavery in her own country, Dr. Chutikul vowed to do all she could to one day eliminate these human travesties. First, she knew she had to be educated so she went to the US for college and continuing education. While in the US she learned to network and make significant and lasting relationships. There were others that also wanted to fight oppression in their countries and they also were being educated in the US. Plus, she knew the US was a powerful nation and with her American counterparts and peers she would eventually gain access into the governments of other countries to enlist their help with the cause. But how does Evidence-based leadership come into play' Evidence-based leadership creates and nurtures an emphasis on strategic planning, action research, monitoring, evaluation, and review. Dr. Chutikul had done her research and has created a personal plan to become educated and learn about the government systems and processes. She also took it upon herself to research and learn about the people involved in human trafficking and the current laws. All this work lead her to the realization that the success of her mission involved the formation of a national policy or global agenda and educating everyone involved (the victims, the traffickers, the government, and law enforcement). Education is the key and would lessen prejudices and change the system within. And once the issue is at a national or global level significant resources could be drawn upon and laws could be enacted. She started with her own measures called the three P’s: Protection, Prosecution, and Prevention. Within those areas were the 3 R’s: Rescue, Return (or repatriation), and Recovery (or reintegration). Using this outline she developed the Thai National Committee on Combating Trafficking in Women and Children. She also formulated the national Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to coordinate efforts towards combating trafficking. Actually she started, formed, and advocated many more groups. So many in fact it would lengthen my paper to well over 15 pages. I am still amazed at all her work. However, most of her efforts are focused on education. She used her background and people skills to establish training courses for medical personnel, social workers, police officers, and immigration officers. In the beginning she taught these classes herself and then later (with the help of her new foundations) created visiting teacher programs and facilities for these classes. She also crossed the border and gave lectures and initiated classes in other countries who had the same issues. In each community she set up learning centers and enlisted the help of local officials. Then she empowered each center to lead itself and create their own vision and goals (the 3 P‚s and 3 R‚s). Because of her efforts there are less victims and more registered immigrants (registration makes it less likely you are kidnapped and sold). In 2007 there was a landmark verdict that proved the system was finally taking protective measure and handing out punishment. The Thai Criminal Court sentenced Wipaporn (a boss or slave owner, fake name) to more than 10 years in jail for abusing „Chand“ (his worker, fake name) as a slave. The mother of four was also ordered to pay „Chand“ 200,000 baht in compensation. Despite an appeal by the defendant, history was made. The country's 51-year-old anti-slavery law had been enforced for the first time, paving the way for future cases to tackle human trafficking and slavery. Personal Reflection When you asked us to report an in influential leader I was excited to find a leader that would not only have an interesting story but also inspire. As a woman I always look to other women who not only became great leaders but also changed the world or innovated in some way. I did a search and found Dr. Saisuree Chutikul. She has used strategic decision making all her life to do more and to make a difference. She has used teamwork and team leadership to bring together almost every country in the world to fight human trafficking and slavery. She has also used her special leadership traits to persuade, communicate, and empower others to not only pass laws but make a difference in their communities. It’s amazing to me that human trafficking and slavery still exists and I feel very fortunate that I have never witnessed this in my own area or even knew it existed. I can’t imagine a world where I would fear my own kidnapping and forced into labor or sexual exploitation. I am so glad there are people like Dr. Chutikul are on this earth to work tirelessly to rid the world of this awful crime. She had proven that with true leadership skills you can change the world. References Humantrafficking.org: May 17, 2007, 50 Year Old Anti-Slavery Law Used in Thailand to Combat Human Trafficking International Conference on Religion and Globalization: Opening remarks at opening ceremony on July 27, 2007. Kyodo News International: Asian Economic News, January 15, 2001 United Nations: Convention on the Rights of the Child, MEETING OF STATES PARTIES, Eighth Meeting, New York, 26 February 2001, Item 5 of the provisional agenda. U.S. State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2009 Vital Voices Global Partnership, 2010 Global Leadership Awards Women Leaders’ Council, Members’ Profiles. [pic]