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LEADING WOMEN: YINGLUCK SHINAWATRA PART 1
LEADING WOMEN: YINGLUCK SHINAWATRA PART 1
A politician under constant scrutiny, Yingluck Shinawatra, a Thailand’s first female Prime Minister. She decided to enter politics in 2011 following the footsteps of her father and her older brother Thaksin Shinawatra, a former country leader who is removed from power in 2006. Even though Thaksin remains in exile, critics said that he is the one calling the shot. So after two years in offices, has Yingluck left the shadow of her older brother? Is she a leading woman in her own right?
This is my profile of the Thai Prime Minister.
Yingluck Shinawatra stepped onto the political stage in 2011 winning a landslide victory in elections to become Thailand’s first female Prime Minister.
New to politics, she was criticized for handling the flood that devastated the country just weeks after she took office.
Now more than two years after she stepped onto the global stage, Yingluck Shinawatra says she wants to be judged by her achievements.
PM: “A lot of key stakeholders so you may have to make sure that you keep all the stakeholders happy.”
Her government raised the country minimum wage.
She’s even taken on the job of Defense Minister. Just one of the challenges she says she’s uniquely qualified to handle because she’s a woman.
PM: “Female will be more concern on the morale and the supporting, and also building the teamwork.”
But Yingluck Shinawatra has been unable to bridge the deep political divide in her country. She’s the youngest sister of the former Prime Minister who’s now living in exile but her critics say he is still calling the shots.
Kristie: “How do you respond to that?”
PM: “Just think that okay we have to work harder to show and to prove. But now two years, I think less criticized about this because if I'm relying on him, I don't think I can be survived to handle during, especially during the floods, or during the hard time.
Kristie: you're saying you've proven yourself
PM: “I think I proved myself but people will trust me or not.
Under scrutiny, not only because of her family history but for everything from her trip abroad to her fashion choices.
One of Yingluck Shinawatra’s priority, improving opportunities for women and children, and recognizing their accomplishments while weathering a tough political environment.
As she launched "SMART LADY THAILAND”, a reality TV show that her government says is meant to empower young women,
Prompted a jab from the opposition leader about a “stupid lady”.
While Abhisit Vejjajiva later said the remark was not directed to the Prime Minister and not intended as an insult to women, her supporters call it “sexist”.
PM: “I don't want to interpret what he means, but only thing that I would like to tell that, please give chance for all ladies or Thai people whoever give the negative. we think that this is the opportunity for us to talk the positive way.”
That approach grasps a political strategy for those to what she sees as her signature style.
PM “People don’t expect you to play the politic. People expect you to run the country with the sincerity and also doing hard effort as much as you can to deliver what we promised to the Thai people |
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