Starting Point
The Myanmar Women's Affairs Federation (MWAF) is a non-governmental organisation that was formed on 20 December 2003. It involves members from all states and regions up to wards and villages. It is a voluntary, community-based organisation that includes women members from all walks of life. To date, there are 5.7 million members. Its key mission is to promote the welfare and advancement of women in Myanmar, enabling them to participate fully in national development. Its vision is “Advancement and Protection of Women.”
Given the gap in competency between women and men, MWAF focuses on enhancing the capacity of women through various training programs, workshops and skill development initiatives. These activities aim to empower women economically, socially and politically by providing them with the necessary knowledge and skills to participate actively in decision-making processes at all levels. Aside from capacity building, the organisation also raises awareness regarding the prevention of all kinds of violence and human trafficking, as well as assisting in healthcare and education issues.
Peace Journey
As one the organisation’s effort to prevent, and reduce conflict, it raise awareness through activities and distribution of pamphlets. It also increase the capacity of its members by involving them peace conferences. Additionally, members made a study tour under the Women, Peace and Security Programme organised by the Nyein Foundation, a civil society organisation working for a peaceful and just society. During the study tours, participants formed friendships and collaborated with one another. Members can learn different perspectives from other participants, present on women’s rights, and address various accusations made against the Tatmadaw (Military) by the ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) with tolerance. Moreover, the members participated in the seminar in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Switzerland.
Moreover, the MWAF have several agenda that are believed to promote unity, harmony, and friendship among the national races, and drive the development of the Union. They are learning traditions among the national races, wearing traditional dress/ costume, educating health awareness and providing vaccine in native remote lands of our national races, funding capital for job opportunities and technical assistances to the native women, educating and sharing knowledge on health, human trafficking and, protection and prevention of women rights published in different dialects of the national races under the projects by the Government, and educational programs in some impede lands under the Government’s projects.
In realising those agenda, MWAF conducts numerous activities to achieve mutual respect and amity among the national races. They are (1) outreach activities to the under develop ethnic regions for the promotion of health, education, economy and to give awareness regarding women's right with their respective local language; (2) observe and vitalise the customs, traditions, and cultures of the national races; (3) supporting learning materials and construction of schools and school latrines; (4) enhancement of economy among ethnic women, vocational trainings, giving out capitals for investment and findings jobs opportunities were carried out in the respective regions; (4) fostering union spirit and to preserve the customs and traditions among the girl child; (5) supporting stipend to those girls who cannot afford to continue the higher education; (6) supporting women in the conflict and disaster hit areas; and (6) reintegration, rehabilitation and supporting of traffic victims.
Section 3: Success Stories
The MWAF believes that to achieve the nation’s development, peace must prevail. Therefore, all parties involved should participate in the negotiations. When the members met with several women from Myanmar’s EAOs, they expressed their desire for peace as early as possible and their wish to live in peace and freedom. In this light, they want non-signatory EAOs to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).
The organisation perceive that sustainable peace can be achieved through political means rather than military ones. It has been reported that the government has held several negotiations on the NCA, and the door remains open for negotiations. In this context, women’s views and insights should be thoroughly reviewed and prioritised in the implementation. According to the proposals for the third point at the first Panglong (peace conference), the ratio of women should be 30 per cent. Accordingly, it was found that the head count of women’s participation was 243, representing 22 per cent of the 1112 representatives at the conference. It is observed that the involvement of women in the government, Hluttaw, and the Tatmadaw is higher than before. By promoting the advancement and protection of the life security of ethnic women, they benefit from their own security and, in turn, reduce the obstacles to the peace process.
The challenges for women to be more in peacebuilding are education, experience, and knowledge in that field. The organisation is urging laws related to Women’s Rights should be enacted, such as the Law on Violence against Women. In the meantime, women should be encouraged to understand the factual difficulties and practical needs, and gender inequality towards them should be addressed and discussed in person during the peace talks.