Karen Women’s Organization Receives Women of Change Awards from U.S. Embassy

The Karen Women’s Organization (KWO) has received this year’s ‘Women of Change Award’ from the U.S. Embassy in Myanmar on March 22 evening.

On behalf of their organization, Naw Wah Khu Shee and Naw Say Say from the KWO’s central standing committee attended the reward ceremony at the U.S. Ambassador’s home on Pyay Road in Yangon.

Over 50 guests including the award winners and last year’s award winners attended the award ceremony.

“This award gives the Karen Women Organization strength to continue our stand on human rights. Equality, uprightness, and human rights are important for not only Karen women but also everyone. That’s why I’m very happy that we have been given this award as recognition for our right stand on human rights,” Naw Wah Khu Shee told Karen News.

Dr Thet Thet Mu, deputy director general of Health Information at the Ministry of Health and Sports who conducted the health survey, and Daw Aye Thinzar Maung, executive committee member of the Myanmar Federation for Persons with Disabilities (MFPD) have also received the Women of Change Awards together with the KWO.

U.S. Ambassador Scot Marciel told the award ceremony that six women from Myanmar received the Women of Change Awards in 2017.

Speaking to Karen News, the U.S. Ambassador said the award ceremony is held to honor women and women’s organizations from diverse areas across the country for giving voice to women in the health sector, disability rights, and the peace process.

“The KWO has a long history. We have selected [the KWO] to show recognition to [the organization] for supporting the powerful voice of women and women’s participation in peace and political dialogues, human rights, and protection of women and carrying out educational activities,” he said.

The KWO comprises over 60,000 members supporting gender equality, indigenous people’s rights, and women’s voices. The KWO issued a statement on the Rakhine conflict on September 9, 2017.

The KWO has opened leadership training school for the new generation of Karen women and has been reviewing the domestic violence law of the Karen National Union (KNU) and uplifting the role of women in decision-making sector of the KNU.