In the early 2000s, a new religious opportunity for women was made possible in Thailand with the first ordination of a Theravada Buddhist nun. Since then, other women have followed the path to full ordination in the country (Waters 2003). The historical event set the path for seeing gender in a process of constant change; challenging a conservative Thai Buddhist clergy (Lindberg Falk 2008). The paper seeks to locate and contextualize the ordination in a broader setting, by studying how the demands of a specific religious group are connected with a broader globalized process. The development of religious gender awareness in Thailand is associated with the institutionalization of gender equality worldwide, through international organizations such as the United Nations. The objective is to argue against the idea that gender equality in the religious sphere is the result of economic development (Inglehart & Norris 2003). The paper address how cultural legacies and religious traditions are confronted by world secular norms, which are in turn transferred to a religious Thailand. In this research, religious gender activism will first be compared with the democratization and liberalization of the public space in the country, followed by the impact of the feminist movement in Thailand and finally, by the role of women’s rights promoted by international institutions. The impact of transnational networks and support to the Thai nuns’ movement will be considered in overall relation to the capacity of these women to change state policies and have an impact on reframing the model of state and religious relations.
