Naw Ni Sat Tin Htoo

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Starting Point

Naw Ni Sat Tin Htoo is a member of the Myanmar Women and Children Development Foundation (MWCDF), which is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) working to empower women and children in conflict-affected regions and advocate for their roles in peacebuilding, caring for women, and rebuilding children's lives in conflict-affected communities. Her organisation mainly serves in community development work and sets examples for the peace process. MWCDF is deeply involved in women’s participation in peacebuilding, focusing on community development activities through women and children. Her involvement began based on her personal experiences with the long-standing ethnic conflict in Myanmar. As a Kayin woman, she strongly desires to promote community peace, which led her to join the MWCDF.  She actively advocated for ethnic rights, gender equality, and the inclusion of women in peace processes. 

She works with several local groups, including ethnic Karen women’s groups, youth organisations, and community-based organisations (CBOs) that focus on community development and setting up resettlement villages and communities in conflict-affected regions of Myanmar.  She focused on grassroots peacebuilding and advocacy for women’s inclusion in higher-level negotiations. Her background includes a strong commitment to rebuilding a peaceful community, saving children's lives, and protecting children. The MWCDF promotes the empowerment of women and children through education, economic development, and participation in peace negotiations. Her actions focus on gender-sensitive peace processes and community-based conflict resolution.

She believed that peace processes should include women, ethnic groups, and civil society. The international community should support locally led peace initiatives and the rebuilding of peaceful societies. Women must be part of negotiating teams and involved as agents of change.

Peace Journey

Her organisation has contributed by mobilising local women to participate as key leaders in different activities, such as the community development project in post-conflict areas and peacebuilding activities, advocating for women’s inclusion in peace talks, and working on humanitarian relief. She participated in peacebuilding regional and international workshops, where she received training on conflict resolution, advocacy, and gender-sensitive peace processes.

Her organisation actively organised community dialogues among ethnic groups to promote understanding and peace. It also advocates for women’s inclusion in national and regional peace talks, facilitates training sessions on conflict resolution, negotiation, and gender-sensitive peacebuilding, and provides humanitarian aid and support to women and children displaced by conflict. 

In her perception, conflict is a part of the human experience and can arise in various contexts, including families, communities, and nations. It is a natural outcome of differing perspectives, needs, and values. While they may strive for harmony, it's essential to recognise that disagreements are inevitable. What truly matters is how they choose to address and resolve these conflicts. By fostering open communication, empathy, and understanding, they can navigate through differences and strengthen their relationships at home or in the broader society. Ultimately, acknowledging that conflict can occur anywhere encourages them to develop constructive approaches to manage it and promote peace. 

Success Stories

MWADF has contributed to rebuilding peaceful communities and setting up resettlement villages in post-conflict areas, facilitating and helping to reduce violence in these areas. In return, it gained recognition by the people in community-based peacebuilding initiatives. 

Grassroots initiatives often succeed through trust-building. Community ownership is much more important than moving with developments and action. Patience, passion, and persistence are essential in rebuilding a peaceful community and society.

Participating in internal peacebuilding is a significant challenge. Women are often sidelined in peace processes despite being the primary victims of conflict. Women should be involved as mediators, negotiators, and peacebuilders since they can bring a unique perspective to the peace process. Training programs provide women with negotiation, conflict resolution, and leadership training. Allocating resources to women’s organisations involved in peace processes is essential.

She admires women from grassroots movements who courageously fight for peace and equality in their communities.