Mon Women’s Network to promote women’s voice during national political dialogue

April 27, 2018

WCRP: From April 24–25, 2018, the Mon Women’s Forum was held at Dhamma Karmi Monastery, Mawlamyine, Mon State. The Mon Women’s Network (MWN) organized the event in order to record the voices and opinions of Mon women, which they plan to present at the national-level political dialogue on the National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in Ye City from May 5–7.

“All of our women’s [groups] can’t join the dialogue. In order to present women’s voices and opinions [during the dialogue], we have organized this forum,” said Mi Lawi Han, chairperson for the MWN.

According to Mi Kon Chan Non, vice chairperson of MWN, politics, social issues, the economy, and land and natural resources were the main topics discussed during the forum, and recommendations by the forum will be presented either at the national-level political dialogue or the 21^st Century Panglong Conference.

“We have to prepare for what we should do [in the future], but we don’t know if they’ll accept [our recommendations] or not,” said Mi Kon Chan Non.

The MWN is promoting women’s voices at the national-level political dialogue because it wants to create space for women to be involved in politics, social issues, economics, and land and national resource sectors, according to Mi Lawi Han.

“Everyone assumes women are not related to political and economic issues. It is nearly impossible for women to be involved in land issues. They can only contribute to some social issues. Women must be involved in the discussion in these four sectors,” continued Mi Lawi Han.

“It’s traditionally believed that women are not related to politics and their contribution doesn’t make a significant change. It’s difficult for women because they’re asked: ‘What have you done before and how much experience do you have?’” said Mi Kon Chan Non.