Starting point
MAP is a space where migrant women learn about rights crisis management. The MAP Foundation is a grassroots Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) focused on empowering migrant communities from Myanmar who live and work in Thailand, Mae Sot and Chiang Mai. The organisation was established as a registered Thai foundation in 2002. It is officially known in Thai as the "Foundation for the Health and Knowledge of Ethnic Labour." (???????????????????????????????) T?hr?o??u?g??h??i?ts??????????? various initiatives, MAP strengthens a space of rights and freedoms of migrants from Myanmar to be fully protected. To achieve this, MAP works to integrate a human rights approach into policy-making, raise awareness about the conditions of migrant workers, combat discrimination, and support local migrant communities in improving their living and working environments.
Penpak, a Muslim woman activist, found that a women's exchange program that provides safe spaces exclusively for women is a key part of continuing her mission of working for a better living for people in Mae Sot. This program encourages migrant women to share their experiences and challenges and collaborate to find solutions. MAP equips migrant women with knowledge of rights, crisis management, and leadership while connecting them to a network of organisations within their communities for support when needed.
Penpak has previously worked with the Women's Foundation, playing a key role in promoting the participation of grassroots and migrant women living in peace along the border between Myanmar and Thailand. She is a native of Mae Sot and was born into a Muslim family. She grew up in a multicultural environment and learned Burmese while attending primary school in Mae Sot before continuing her studies at Naresuan University in Phitsanulok.
Penpak is deeply interested in advocating for women's voices in various communities in Mae Sot, particularly Muslim women. She focuses on expanding outreach and the groups that control and regulate Muslim migrants from Myanmar. These individuals face layered challenges beyond the state’s structural management issues and state-to-state relations. Violence against women from different ethnic backgrounds remains a significant issue, especially for Burmese Muslim women, who often come from low-income, family-oriented backgrounds. They rely on casual labour, live in fear of being arrested as illegal migrants, and experience discrimination.
The Muslim community and the locals in Mae Sot reflect with Penpak that better management could improve trade and the quality of life for everyone, except when there are informal systems that the state neglects. Penpak leverages her status as a local and works on women's rights issues to address the challenges of using religious interpretative discourse to justify authority exercised by community leaders, often restricting women's roles and limiting their access to healthcare and appropriate living conditions.
Peace Journey
Penpak believes that her long-standing work with Women's Foundations and her status as a local resident in Mae Sot have earned her the trust of the refugees living there. This has allowed her to access the community of the migrants and deeply understand the issues, making her a key link in mediating conflicts. For example, when Burmese Muslim women refugees in Mae Sot were victims of domestic violence, she reported the incident to the Islamic Community Committee in the city. She sought assistance after the violence was addressed and mediated by the committee, all of whose members were men. Penpak worked with her organisation’s team to conduct capacity-building activities for women and men, providing training and raising awareness. While her work has seen some success, similar problems continue to arise in other communities where she has not been able to engage, as a large number of Muslims from Myanmar live in Mae Sot. Additionally, there are ongoing issues related to illegal residence and the lack of contract renewals for migrant workers.
When Penpak started working at MAP in 2023, she expanded her approach to a more systematic way of working, particularly with the migrant workers from Myanmar living legally in Mae Sot. The organisation's programs under her responsibility cover various aspects, with a focus on empowering stigmatised migrants from Myanmar, especially youth and women, particularly during times of physical or mental crisis. The goal is to help youth and women gain recognition and knowledge about their fundamental rights and build their capacity to access health, education, and other services. Penpak's work in her new role aims to ensure that women and children living legally in the area can access a standard of living they are entitled to.
Penpak believes that achieving these goals requires the government's cooperation and efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, which must involve collaboration with neighbouring countries. Without such cooperation, initiatives like hers and different organisations will struggle to make progress. The problem becomes even more complex when individuals exploit migrant labour, particularly the influx of female migrant workers who often come with children, and the system in Thailand is still not fully supportive of their needs.
Success Stories
The Mae Sot border area, known for its informal power dynamics and as a "black hole" for migrants and labour exploitation, has seen its image change over time. Penpak believes that this new perception contrasts with the old views of previous generations. Her father often said that while problems were everywhere, Mae Sot was still a better place. The presence of people from Myanmar has been long-established. Still, due to poor management, inadequate enforcement of rights protection laws, and unchecked abuse of power, these issues have motivated Penpak to stay in Mae Sot. As a local resident, and with her dissatisfaction with the authoritarian system, she believes that civil society and NGOs can more effectively address and prevent such problems due to their flexibility. However, she acknowledges that government cooperation and sustainable efforts are still essential.
Penpak's success lies in helping girls and women from Myanmar migrant labour escape the cycle of domestic violence and unfair labour exploitation. This achievement was possible thanks to the long-standing involvement of NGOs like the Women's Foundation, MAP, and others who have been active in the area. By applying a progressive interpretation of equality and rights in Islam while maintaining the positive core values, Penpak worked with local organisations and Muslim community groups to encourage a reassessment of how certain religious interpretations have done more harm than good to people.