women

Naw K’Nyaw Paw, general secretary of the Karen Women’s Organization (KWO) has been declared as one of 10 recipients of the 2019 International Women of Courage Award. On March 7, Michael R. Pompeo, US Secretary of State hosted the Awards at the U.S. Department of State office to honor the 10 winners. The KWO, as an organization received the 2018…

The Karen State Social Welfare Department announced the Myanmar government will give support to pregnant mothers and their children (under two) starting from January, 2019. U Zaw Min, Director of the Department of Social Welfare, told Karen News pregnant women and children under two years old (or under 1,000 days) will be given financial support the government under its Strategic…

The Pantanaw Karen Youth (PKY) is carrying out a mat weaving project to increase the income of rural women in Pantanaw Township, Ayeyarwady Region with funding from an international non-governmental organization (INGO). The PKY started the mat weaving project on July 1 with financial support from the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) and assistance from the GRET Myanmar,…

The Karen National Union lauded female participation in a recent, local political training after the course attained a 30 percent quota. The second basic politics training, a five-day event last week, involved residents from villages in KNU-controlled Kawkareik township. Among the 100 trainees, 30 were women. “I’m very glad to see many women at the training. I hope women will…

A wide and diverse range of women groups and civil society organisations have released the following statement on the government’s draft Interfaith Marriage Law. Karen News have taken the decision to run the full statement to generate debate and understanding in the community of the issues involved. *Statement of Women’s Groups and CSOs on preparation of draft Interfaith Marriage Law…

International pressure for an investigation into sexual violence in Burma is mounting, with the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon calling for the Burma government to co-operate with the UN on the issue. Ban Ki-moon called on the Burma Government to investigate human rights abuses, including sexual violence. “I call on the Government of Myanmar to fully investigate and respond…

In an exclusive interview with Karen News, the Secretary of the Karen Women’s Organization (KWO), a community based organisation representing more than 49,000 women including refugees in Thailand and internally displaced persons inside Burma, said that ethnic women were second-class citizens in their own country. “We are not only ignored, we are being abused and victimized. The peace talks don’t…

The Karen Women Organization held ceremonies on April 5 marking its 29th anniversary in locations in Karen State and along the Thai Burma border. The KWO used its anniversary to draw attention to the status of women’s legal protection, the need to respect women and the need to promote women’s role in the peace process. The KWO released a report…

Women from the largest refugee camp in Thailand’s express their concerns and dreams as the world marks international women’s day. Naw Kaw, 44, a mother of three and a Karen refugee, sits down, shielding her face from the midday sun. She has been in Mae La refugee camp for two decades. She fled Burma after being used by the Burma…

The 28th of October marked the second anniversary of the abduction of Sumlut Roi Ja, an ethnic Kachin woman, by members of Burma’s Army. She is still missing. Burma Army soldiers arrested Sumlut Roi Ja, a 28-year-old mother, on October 28th 2011 while she was working on the family’s farm near her village Hkai Bang, close to the China border.…