สตรีมุสลิม: ชีวิต และบทบาทการเป็นนักเคลื่อนไหวทางสังคมในพื้นที่จังหวัดชายแดนภาคใต้

Abstract

Southern Border Provinces, besides the ongoing issue of the unstable situation that has caused damage to the lives and properties of people in the area, there are many other important issues, such as the issue of gender inequality between men and women. The purpose of this research is to study 1) the lifestyle and social status of Muslim women who are social activists in the three southern border provinces, 2) the role of Muslim women in social activism, and 3) propose ways to develop Muslim women's role in social activism. Data was collected from key informants in the three southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, with a total of 15 people interviewed using in-depth interviews and group discussions. The results of the study showed that 1)The study of the lifestyle patterns and social status of Muslim women who are activists in the three southern border provinces shows that Muslim women in these provinces have a simple way of life based on the principles of Islam. If a woman's main family responsibility is taking care of the family, she does not go out to work. However, due to the ongoing unrest in the area, the lives of this group of women have changed. They lose family members and children due to the violence or even face divorce, causing them to change their way of life to survive and become social activists to help other affected women. This has led to a change in the way of life of Muslim women in the area, but at the same time, these women still adhere to the practices of being good wives and mothers as prescribed by religion. In terms of social status, some Muslim women are still not widely accepted by society, especially among the older generation who have a strong belief and still adhere to the strict practices of Islam, viewing what this group of women is doing as wrong. This has resulted in some groups in society having a negative view of Muslim women activists. 2) The role of Muslim women as activists is mainly to help heal women affected by local violence, whether it is situational violence or even domestic violence. The job involves providing advice and consultation, and the role and process begin with receiving complaints. One-on-one consultations and assistance by coordinating with relevant local authorities and another important role is the call for gender equality. In the operation, there are often problems and obstacles, such as the imbalance of time allocation of time to work with family care and not being accepted by certain groups of people in society. This makes it difficult to reach Muslim women in the community. 3) Guidelines for developing Muslim women's role as social activists in the three southern border provinces. The key is knowledge, which needs to be supported by private organizations, the government, or other relevant agencies involved in providing knowledge and understanding of social work to Muslim women who are social activists in the area. Promoting the development of Muslim women as a voice for themselves to demand their rights, which arise from not being treated fairly in society, and motivating Muslim women to see their own worth. A good network process must be established to avoid problems with the future lifestyle of Muslim women.