Myanmar News Articles: Mon Women Fight for their Rights

Saturday, March 15th, 2014

Group Photo of Delegates at the Mon Women's Conference. (Photo IMNA)

Khitar Non – Mon Women at the Mon Women's Conference (MNC) proposed an eight-point plan to improve women's rights and get them more involved in leadership and decision-making.

Mi Cherry Soe the chairwoman of the MWC's organizing committee said: "When it comes to politics and peace talks there are very few women involved. Despite us as a group having demanded the right [to be more involved] in the past nothing has happened, so at this conference Mon women yet again called for the right [to be more involved]."

The eight-point plan, released at the end of the MWC proposed the following:

1. The establishment of a Mon Women's Network.

2. The establishment of quotas for the number of women in political parties and other organisations.

3. The inclusion of women in the upcoming Mon National Convention (MNC) with women making up at least one third of the MNC Working Committee members.

4. Ensure that at least 30 percent of the participants in political and peace talks are women.

5. Ensure that people in authority take action in an unbiased way against those who have committed offences against women or repressed them.

6. Action to be taken against the widespread use of drugs in the region.

7. The prevention or cessation of human rights abuses, particularly abuses against women and children and the restoration of those rights.

8. The teaching of native ethnic languages at government primary schools with the government employing teachers to teach those languages.

Until these points are put into effect the conference delegates unanimously agreed that women should be allowed to be involved in politics and decision-making.

Mi Cherry Soe said: "If we look at New Mon State Party (NMSP), there is only one [Mon] woman in the party's committee members and if we look at the Hluttaw (Parliament), there are only 2 women. Most of the women are in low positions."

The MWC discussed the formation of a Mon Women's Network so that Mon women from different areas and regions could be united and speak with one voice.

Mi Kon Chit said: "In almost every area in the country, there are Mon people. So, we should set up a network that can include Mon women from those areas."

The conference delegates agreed that any group or organization that was working on behalf of Mon women's affairs was welcome to join the Mon Women's Network.

The MWC was held from March 8th to 11th at 2500 Sarsana Monastery in Moulmein, the Mon State capital.