12 - Women’s Movements in Myanmar and the Era of #Me Too

Summary

In recent years Myanmar has seen dramatic social and economic changes. Following nearly sixty years of military rule (1962–2010), the election of the National League for Democracy in November 2015 heralded a new era for democracy and human rights. For those who had led a long campaign for women's rights in Myanmar, seeing Daw Aung San Su Kyi take the helm as State Counselor was a symbolic step forward. In the context of these political changes, a nascent women's movement is making strides toward greater gender equality in the country and to improve the representation and rights of women. Local manifestations of the global #Me Too movement are similarly building new spaces and opportunities for dialogue around women's rights, including the right to be free from violence and exposure to sexual harassment and assault.

In this paper we examine women's activism in Myanmar and how the #Me Too movement has galvanised a discussion around the prevalence of sexual harassment and violence. There is limited data available on women's rights and violence against women in Myanmar, particularly with respect to the #Me Too movement. We do not purport to provide a comprehensive, data-driven evaluation of changes in gender norms around women's rights and discussions of sexual violence in Myanmar. Rather, we draw on discussions in the media and non-for-profit organisations, alongside our collective experiences conducting research and advocacy on women's rights in Myanmar.

Both authors of this chapter are involved in Myanmar's women's rights movement. Aye Thiri Kyaw is a Myanmar national who has been active in the women rights’ field in Myanmar since 2013. She has served as a gender analyst to the United Nations and other international organisations and has been at the forefront of public debate and discussion on sexual violence and women's rights in Myanmar. For example, in 2018, the author delivered a TEDxYangon speech, “#Me Too Myanmar: Men of Quality for Women's Equality,” in which she openly talked about incidents of sexual harassment that women face in their everyday lives. The content of the talk was informed by the author's personal experiences of sexual harassment in her native town, Sittwe (Rakhine State, Myanmar), where she worked as an aid worker.