Joint statement by UNFPA and UN Women: Impacts of the compounded political and health crisis on women and girls in Myanmar

Date: Sunday, August 1, 2021

Since February 1, women and girls have been at the frontlines as leaders of civil society organizations, civil servants, activists, journalists, artists and influencers exercising their fundamental rights to express their hopes for the future of their country. Even before the coup, women, who make up 75 per cent of Myanmar’s healthcare professionals, were at the forefront of the COVID-19 response. Now, during a tragic surge in COVID-19 cases, many women continue in their activism and serve their communities while also assuming significant responsibilities as caregivers for sick family members, and for their children’s home-based learning.

Statement on Myanmar by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women

Date: Friday, March 12, 2021

UN Women aligns with the statements made by the UN Secretary-General in strongly condemning the violent crackdown and the use of lethal force against peaceful protestors over the past month in Myanmar and expresses its deep concern over the targeted and disproportionate violence against women being recorded in this situation.

Statement: UN Women calls upon all stakeholders to listen to the voices of women in Myanmar in response to political events

Date: Thursday, February 11, 2021

Today, UN Women stands in solidarity with the women and women’s civil society organizations of Myanmar as they seek to exercise their fundamental right to demonstrate peacefully and express their hopes and desires for the future of their country.

UN Women and Rohingya women on the front line of COVID-19 response

Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2020

The world in lockdown has created a ‘profound shock to our societies and economies, and women are at the heart of care and response efforts underway[1]. Primarily as caregivers, women are not just sustaining families, but also serving as front-line responders, mainly in the health and service sector.

In Myanmar, women work to protect small businesses during COVID-19 pandemic

Date: Friday, May 22, 2020

UN Women has been working with other United Nations agencies, partners and the Government to raise public awareness about COVID-19. Initiatives by UN Women’s Sittwe office include providing information geared toward women, helping women get health and social protection services, and ensuring that virus control measures, such as quarantine centres, meet women’s needs and concerns

From where I stand: “They forced me to get pregnant”

Date: Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Aung Ja* was 18 when a woman from Myitkina, northern Myanmar, convinced her to take a ‘factory’ job in China. She was rescued in 2017 and is taking part in a UN Women-supported trafficking prevention programme.

Tackling human trafficking in Myanmar

Date: Thursday, January 3, 2019

In 2005, Myanmar passed an anti-trafficking law, but trafficking is still rampant in the conflict-affected state, especially in the northern region, where it borders China. A UN Women programme is supporting local partner, Htoi Gender and Development Foundation, in providing legal support and vocational training to survivors.

From where I stand: “Women need support from each other to cope with this crisis”

Date: Monday, June 4, 2018

The Rohingya crisis started decades ago, but the intensity and the influx of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh since last year has been unprecedented. Noor Nahar is a Rohingya woman in her thirties, who has lived in a refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh since she was seven years old. Today she is working as a mentor to newly arriving Rohingya women refugees as part of a UN Women-supported programme.

Empowering refugee women and girls

Date: Monday, January 9, 2017

A UN Trust Fund project informs residents of the services available in refugee camps along the Myanmar-Thailand border, including three safe houses that offer psychosocial support. It runs workshops to raise awareness about violence against women and the rights of women and girls. Thousands of adolescents, male and female, have attended the workshops.

In a community in Myanmar, a role model changes attitudes and actions

Date: Wednesday, January 4, 2017

As one of 20 men trained as ‘role models’ in Kayah State and Rakhine State, Tin Moe Tun promotes a safe family environment, shares knowledge of women’s rights and organizes men to protect women from violence and to make sure they are included in community decision-making.

In Myanmar, efforts to bring women to the centre of peacebuilding

Date: Tuesday, November 5, 2013

For the first time in Myanmar’s history, 120 participants, including senior Government and UN officials, parliamentarians, development partners and civil society, marked the Open Day on Women, Peace and Security on 31 October to commemorate UN Security Council resolution 1325.

Forging a new path: Women at the peace tables in Myanmar

Date: Wednesday, October 31, 2012

This week, on the 12th anniversary of Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, UN Women, in partnership with the non-profit organizations Swisspeace and Shalom Foundation, is holding a peacebuilding and negotiation training course for women in Yangon, Myanmar. The course is aimed at building women's skills and confidence, empowering them to play a greater part in peace negotiations.