DET Voices #15 Embrace Equity on 2023 International Women's Day

On March 8 we marked International Women’s Day (IWD) at Delta Thailand with the 2023 theme #EmbraceEquity. So what is equity and why is it a core part of Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) which we are striving to achieve at Delta?

Equity means fairness by recognizing that we do not all start from the same place and must make adjustments to imbalances to help each person succeed. This is different from equality which provides the same to all regardless of differences and personal needs.

In this 2023 IWD of DET Voices, we hear the thoughts of six Delta Thailand women who embrace equity and strive for a world where all women can succeed. They answer:

1. Why do we need Equity where we recognize imbalances and offer support according to different needs?
2. Why do we need gender equity for a fair, prosperous and happy society?
3. How can we truly embrace equity, and what actions can we take to support others?
4. How can we embrace diversity, and make everyone at Delta feel included in our shared success?

1.Pranorm Panyakong

Hi, I’m Pranorm Panyakong from the NPI department. I don’t worry about which gender someone is because to me we all work the same. We should not discriminate because of gender as all genders are equal.

We must support everyone regardless of gender. That means, we should want others to have the opportunity to work at a job like us and become our colleagues together. That’s what I mean.

Regardless of gender, we are all equal and can become friends in the world. That is possible when there is no discrimination between society and we can accept whoever we meet. Diversity is when we can accept all.

2.Atchariyaporn Wannasut

Hi, I’m Atchariyaporn from the NPIBU. In my personal opinion, gender doesn't determine everything in society. Everyone’s thoughts, mindset and actions are different. So that will be a big indicator of the kind of person we are inside.

Because no matter what gender we are we can show good potential. So no matter what gender we identify as we all deserve a chance and equality in all aspects of society without any caveats or exceptions. This should lead to the same results.

Basically, you have to accept yourself for who you are and accept what other people are. This includes fostering the potential we all have. Let other people see and accept us for who we are and what capacity we have.

Nowadays our world (in Thailand) is very open with gender diversity. This is not a new trend in Thai society. It shouldn't be a problem because we accept diversity in this respect. Regardless, everyone is different but we should see that they're doing their best in their capacity.

At Delta Thailand, we work together and live together as member of society without any preconditions. This is a step towards achieving success together. When we have the same goal and equity everything should be ok.

3.Janphen Makkhawichit

Hello, my name is Janphen from PSBC1. I believe everyone is equal and should have equal rights and duties. We should not make differences which lead to conflict and violence because everyone should be equal to each other.

In order for society to live happily together and avoid conflicts we must first be open-minded and accept other opinions. We must accept gender differences and understand the nature of each gender. We should understand, listen and accept more.

At Delta, there are many levels among employees, right? And there are many genders at Delta like female, male and transgender. We believe that everyone has equal rights and equality. We listen to each other's opinions and the suggestions of each person. Each of them is not deprived of their freedom of thought.

Don't hate or bully other genders. Instead, listen and take in everything you need to improve and to make your relationships better. We must learn to be together and work happily together by not causing conflicts over differences.

4.Phetcharat Kamolman

Hello, my name is Phetcharat. Well today we can live together regardless of the gender or any person and we have different ideas but can help each other to express our opinions. Whether we are female, male or a LGBT, each person can work together well.

Nowadays, third gender persons are rarely rejected. Because it's not like we must be female or male to do our work and LGBT persons can work just the same too. We (Thais) may be responsible for that change of mindset in Delta and we are a little bit different from other locations. Our opinions will differ but our attention to detail at work is equal.

I want to be open-minded because sometimes LGBT people can be mentally stressed when under high pressure in our daily lives and when outside in society. If everyone opens up to accept us and has empathy, we can live together better. 

I want to have activities together with other LGBT people to support each other and be role models to lend help or share ideas with each other to live together better. Be open to LGBT people because we can work and hold roles with a lot of responsibility. We might have a different way of thinking, but we’re able to get along well with ya’ll binary folks.

5.Sarai Soeprom

My name is Sarai Soeprom from Plant NMNBU, QA. I want everyone male, female or LGBT to have equal opportunity whether it is in the demonstration of their knowledge, ability and qualification for job positions.

Everyone should have the opportunity to show their competence no matter what gender you are especially the LGBT folks. I want society to give them a chance to have the opportunities available to others and to show their talents with a focus on job opportunities. This means equal opportunity in labor, application for jobs and broader/higher positions.

I don't want to see gender being an obstacle or to see prejudice against these groups. In my case, if there is an opportunity to select QC juniors to join our work team, I will not choose people based on whether they are male, female or LGBT. We have the opportunity to look at each individual’s knowledge, abilities and character traits that qualify one to join our organization rather than looking at what gender you are.

I have to admit that Delta is a big organization which gives opportunities for all genders including the LGBT. There is also a lot of collaboration within the organization as we are all working together and part of the same team. Where I live, there are all genders and all types of people working together.

We look more at a person’s abilities so we must truly say that we do not have any gender bias. I look at your abilities and character so we can share and do more together than when on our own. This will help our organization to succeed and grow even more.

6.Sirinapha Kanha

Hi, I’m Sirinapha and I comes from SMT Production. I believe everyone has equal rights no matter what gender, race or religion. We must not be discriminated against whether we are male, female or LGBTQ+.

As for general differences in needs, one key thing I want is better access women's sanitary napkins. This is something that we women can't choose and we can’t control because menstruation is a natural part of being a women.

I think this is very important. I want everyone to see the importance of this issue. There should be free sanitary napkins for all women. Everyone who was born in this world should have the same rights to health and dignity.

We should be treated equally and given equal opportunities. A simple example that we commonly see is when we go to apply for jobs in many places for whatever position, there will be some positions that only accept men or only women. I think it's like making a pre-judgment here that this gender can only do this or that type of work is only suitable for this gender.

I think it doesn't matter what gender we are we can do everything the same because we are all equal. We must be open to listening to others and practice giving opportunities to everyone as well.

It reminds me of an important event for me when I wanted to ride a motorcycle because I saw my male friend riding but folks in my town didn’t agree. My dad told us that we are girls and asked: How can you ride? It's dangerous. How can you want to do things like men? But I thought, Why can't I ride? Why can't I do that? I'm the same age as him and can do everything just like him. I understand that my dad is concerned and doesn't want us to have an accident or something but everyone has the right to do what they want too.

So I would like to support others no matter what gender or who they are. Let's come out of the closet and do what we want so long as it doesn't cause harm to ourselves or trouble other people. I like that at Delta, we have a lot of gender diversity. There are male and female employees and also LGBTQ+.

It's simple when we just don't reject and open up to everyone because we are all equally human. Only then will we be able to celebrate success together with others.

About the Author (Editorial Team)

David Nakayama

If content is king, there must be a kingmaker. And the universal theme in my favorite stories is our innate human desire for freedom. I have a master’s degree in Chinese education and experience spanning industries and countries. As the Comms guy at DET, I’m obsessed with the stories behind our products and people. Share your stories with me  https://www.linkedin.com/in/yushi-david-nakayama/

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