Dani Saejung was selected as an Asian Girls Ambassador and Asian Girls Human Rights Award winner for her passion for fighting against sexual violence. With the help of social media, she wants to draw people’s attention to women’s right to dress how they want.

Born in Thailand in 2004, despite her young age, Dani has a keen interest in the politics of her country and is keen to study more in the areas of politics and human rights. Like many other teenagers in the world, she wants to look good; however, she is discouraged from dressing the way she likes. She has been taught that a woman who wears “inappropriate” clothes or behaves “improperly” is vulnerable to sexual harassment. A majority of people in Thailand still believe that women are more likely to be sexually assaulted if they wear revealing clothes. It was Dani’s concern about widespread sexual violence that led her to take action herself.

Dani’s project aims to break down the myth that women must either avoid dressing provocatively or face exposing themselves to the risk of sexual harassment. She hopes that with the help of social media, she can share her thoughts and ideas with those outside of her class and school. The main focus of her project is improving human rights education. She believes that only when people are aware of the importance of gender equality will they be able to accept that women should have the right and freedom to dress as they please.

Thailand is often thought of as a Buddhist country, yet Muslims comprise the largest religious minority with a population of around 3 million, or 5% of the total population. As a Muslim, Dani wants to advocate for the hijab, an item of Islamic dress. Although it has long been legal for Muslims to wear the hijab, there are still situations in which hijab bans have been privately enforced. She hopes to educate more people on the beauty of Islamic religious dress.

As a Human Rights Award winner, she is excited to carry on with her project and encourage more girls to voice their ideas. At the same time, she wants to raise girls’ awareness of their rights by sharing stories on social media. She believes unity is strength and hopes that one day, all girls will be able to shield themselves from sexual violence!