Thailand’s ongoing political instability is shaped by tensions between Thailand and Cambodia, rising nationalism and the fragility of the Thai state. Various groups have attempted to communicate about and advocate for peace. But the public discourse is dominated by militarised narratives and civic space is shrinking – making the need for feminist networks to build collective responses apparent. With our Feminist Peace Initiatives, we supported a gathering of women and feminist collectives to build a solidarity movement.  

The vibrant 2020-2021 pro-democracy protests briefly expanded civic space and led to electoral gains for progressive parties. But they ultimately gave way to democratic backsliding. This recurring pattern highlights the need to work with networks capable of recognising these patterns and mobilising collective responses. Even though advancing gender justice while holding movement leaders accountable for harassment was central to the protest movement, feminist organising has received little recognition in Thailand.

To strengthen the intersection of feminist principles and peacebuilding, the student association Little Feminist Collective organised the FemKids Assembly in March 2026 and brought together diverse women and feminists from Thailand and Myanmar. It included representatives from feminist student associations, the Southern Peasants Federation of Thailand, the Radical Grandma Collective, the Milk Tea Alliance Thailand as well as a woman activist from Myanmar. Together they discussed feminist peacebuilding – and began to build a solidarity movement.

Spirit of collaboration and activism

During the FemKids Assembly, seven feminist clubs ran a total of eight booths and exhibitions. Among the clubs were a newly formed club from Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science and the peacebuilding activist group Solidarity Collective whose mission is to promote Palestine-Southeast Asia solidarity. The spirit of collaboration and activism exhibited in the booths carried through to the dialogues:

• Grassroots voices from the Radical Grandma Collective, the Southern Peasants' Federation and from Myanmar connected environmental justice, land rights and displacement struggles to feminist organising.

• A discussion on information warfare unpacked how digital narratives shaped the Thai-Cambodia conflict.

• During the closing circle, the floor was given to a young facilitator while senior members of collectives stepped back to listen.

• In every session, members took on active roles – from interpreting to facilitating – reflecting a collective built as much across generations as across movements.

One participant highlighted the opportunity to experience youth perspectives on feminist issues in engaging ways. “There was art work as well as serious discussion panels. It showed that there is an active feminist youth community across many universities. I hope this community continues to grow and becomes stronger throughout the country.”

New approaches to building a feminist movement

This first assembly forged new bonds that the organiser, the Little Feminist Collective, will nurture. Inspired by the assembly, the Collective plans to work closely with organisations beyond universities that address tools commonly used in situations of conflict, such as disinformation and information warfare. It will also learn from emerging anti-authoritarian tactics of civic movements and networks. Maintaining the consistency and sustainability of the Collective, and the movement more broadly, will be a challenge, particularly because many feminist clubs operate under rotating student boards.

This will require developing adaptable and flexible approaches to peace- and movement-building that are responsive to the new realities of coming generations of feminist organisers. But the Collective remains confident and optimistic: “The event reaffirmed that we are moving in the right direction. Despite the ongoing shrinking of civic space, we witnessed strong interest from feminists and young people who had never previously been involved. Many expressed interest in volunteering and becoming part of the movement.”

Shaping their own visions for social change

This gathering demonstrated that the demand for feminist organising and community-building among younger generations remains strong. The Collective intends to meet that demand by providing resources and opportunities for young people, especially those who have limited access to such spaces, to organise activities, experiment with creative approaches and to shape their own visions for social change. This will be essential for the movement’s long-term growth.

The FPI grant enabled the Collective “to reflect on several important lessons that will shape our future development. These experiences are helping us build the foundation for a new wave of young feminists in Thailand. This new generation seeks to advance social change through an intersectional, inclusive and community-driven approach.”

Starting point for a feminist peace movement

As a result of the gathering, a core team from the FemKids Assembly has taken shape, a potential partner has stepped forward to support the collective's growth, and university students inspired by the event are now seeking to start their own feminist clubs and join the network. Collaborations for future projects on peacebuilding and feminism are already emerging along with a shared wish among participants to deepen these ties further.

As the Little Feminist Collective's first funded event, this assembly laid essential groundwork from which an intersectional, youth-driven and intergenerational feminist movement in Thailand can keep building.