Under Attack: Women’s Peace and Security in Burma
On 1 February 2021, the military deliberately sabotaged the prospects for democracy when they attempted a coup. Senior politicians and newly elected Members of Parliament were quickly detained and arbitrarily arrested. Those who escaped the junta’s grasp fled, and many remain in exile as their names circulate on military-sponsored wanted lists. Widespread opposition to the hijacking of the November 2020 national elections emerged, and it wasn’t long before protests flooded the country’s streets.
The gendered impacts of the junta’s violence over the last four and a half years have had alarming effects on the safety of young women and girls. Their rights and freedoms are being regularly undermined as aerial and ground strikes from the military junta escalate, especially in areas where the opposition holds significant bases and territory. More than four years after the attempted coup in Burma, women and girls are still facing immense risks to their safety. The military junta has openly ignored concerns for women’s rights, their protection, and their calls for reforms to laws that have discriminated against their potential and well-being.
Patriarchal norms have long challenged women’s rights. In addition, the severe humanitarian crisis following the 2021 military coup, and ongoing gender-based violence, which includes arbitrary arrests, movement restrictions, and limited access to resources, as well as other rights violations. Among the current barriers threatening women’s safety are the ongoing conflict, forced conscription and the sham election. Militarization across Burma’s various States and Regions has made it so difficult to survive that no place has been granted safe and secure from the threat of an indiscriminate attack.
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Today, the Network for Human Rights Documentation-Burma (ND-Burma) publishes its latest briefing paper, Under Attack: Women’s Peace and Security in Burma. Despite substantial challenges, women continue to resist patriarchal systems that seek to silence their calls for equality and justice for abuses committed against them. Each year, the global initiative 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence underscores the ongoing effort towards a gender-equal future. In Burma, the drive for gender-informed policies arises from decades of oppression that require urgent reform and change. Our latest analysis reveals that women face significant risks in the years since the failed coup, and urgent attention is needed to end military impunity.
This briefing paper highlights the worsening crisis in women’s peace and security during the 16 Days Campaign Against Gender-Based Violence. Based on desk research and member data, our findings emphasize the urgent need for support for victims and survivors of various forms of violence.
Patriarchal norms in Burma have historically challenged women’s rights. Additionally, the severe humanitarian crisis following the 2021 military coup, along with ongoing gender-based violence—including arbitrary arrests, movement restrictions, limited resource access, and other violations—continues to undermine women’s safety. Current obstacles, such as the ongoing conflict, forced conscription, and the upcoming sham election, further threaten women. The militarization of Burma’s various States and Regions has created such hardship that no area is safe from the risk of indiscriminate attacks.
Civil society organizations have long played a key role in documenting human rights abuses and truth-telling efforts. Justice remains delayed for victims and survivors of the military junta’s brutal attacks on civilians. These attacks have persisted for decades, and following the failed coup, demands for accountability must translate into tangible actions to break the cycle of impunity.
Furthermore, our members demand an immediate end to all forms of violence against women and call for increased visibility and attention to the 16 Days Campaign. The international community must take coordinated action and heed the decades-long calls of women’s groups to ensure the protection and promotion of rights for all.
For more information:
Name: Nai Aue Mon
Signal: +66 86 1679 741
Name: San Htoi
Signal: +66 649369070
