The status of women in Thai parliament has long been compared to that of an "ornamental plant", or mere decorative object.
That comparison is definitely false, given that there have been many smart and talented women working in politics. But such a perception proves there is a firm glass ceiling in male-dominated Thai politics that obstructs women from taking leading roles.
Pannikar Wanich, Future Forward Party (FFP) MP and spokeswoman, has recently called for gender equality in parliament.
During her first two days in parliament over a week ago, she told reporters she had noticed gender-biased behaviours demonstrated by her male counterparts while she spoke.
In the past, female MPs often received boos and hoots while speaking. Their opinions were treated as not serious matters by their male counterparts, some of whom also made fun of their appearance. These gender biases have discouraged women from pursuing top roles in parliament.
During the first meeting of the Lower House on May 26, Ms Pannikar stood up and called for the House Speaker to allow both men and women nominated for the deputy House speaker job to set out their visions.
Her call was meant to ensure the right candidate was chosen based on competency and visions, not sex.
It is also stands up against the deeply-rooted gender discrimination in parliament -- since Thailand adopted the parliamentary system 87 years ago, there has been only one female deputy House speaker.
Her boldness received bouquets and brickbats. Some senior and conservative male MPs spoke sarcastically about her. Even a female MP from the opposite, pro-military camp accused her of being "uncourteous" in the House.
But that was not all. Another male MP later told reporters that it would be entertaining to see Ms Pannikar and the female MP who criticised her engaging in a cat fight and slapping each other in the face similar to the antics of Thai soaps, which portray women as irrational and emotional characters when it comes to problem-solving.
Well, look around you. How many women do you know -- perhaps your mothers, daughters and friends -- who resort to face slapping or violence as the means to deal with problems? I don't think you will find many women like that.
It is ironic for Thailand that, historically, it was a matrilineal society. Women lead families and communities, and inherit properties from their parents. Once married, husbands traditionally move into the houses of their wives' families. This is contrary to Thai-Chinese patriarchal culture that gives privileges to men.
Gender discrimination has remained an obstacle in efforts to push for fair policies for women -- from maternal leave limited to three months to limited job positions for women in some government offices.
Under the military regime, fewer women have served in the legislative and administrative branches than before.
Only 26 out of 250 regime-appointed senators are women.
Twelve women, equivalent to 5%, were appointed among 250 members of the now-dissolved National Legislative Assembly. Only four women have served in the cabinet in the past five years.
After the March 24 general election, we now have 16% of women, or 81 female MPs, in the Lower House. During Yingluck Shinawatra's elected government, 79 and 23 women were elected as MPs and senators, respectively, while eight women held cabinet positions.
These numbers imply that democracy offers more chances to women than authoritarianism, as the former provides opportunities for women to use their capacity to compete for jobs. This is the same as in the corporate world where the status of women has become more advanced.
A recent survey by Grant Thornton International shows that Thailand has a significant proportion of women in top business positions. About 33% of CEOs or managing directors are women, well above the average Asean rate of 21% and more than double the global average of 15%.
Of course, the glass ceiling is still there. But I believe more women will hold top corporate jobs in the coming years.
But there is still a need for Thai society overall to acknowledge gender equality, and, like Ms Pannikar said, change must begin in parliament.
"Parliament is a space for democracy. The heart of democracy is equality among human beings. It must start here," she said.
I agree with her. If it's not parliament, where else it should it start?
With the higher number of young and progressive MPs in the Lower House, this is the right time to question, challenge and do away with gender discrimination in politics.
Paritta Wangkiat is a columnist, Bangkok Post.
