Media Statement: United Voices from Women’s Rights and LGBTQIA+ Rights Organizations on Dialogues for Gender, Women, Peace, and Security in Myanmar

To amplify the voices of women and marginalized populations, including individuals with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as those with disabilities, who are disproportionately affected by prolonged conflicts and violence, and to document their steadfast efforts in resisting the junta, restoring democracy, and upholding human rights, 58 representatives from 40 women’s and LGBTIQA+ rights organizations and networks convened in Chiang Mai. They actively participated in and contributed their insights and experiences to three in-person dialogue sessions held in January and February 2025, focusing on issues related to Gender/Women, Peace, and Security (G/WPS) in Burma/Myanmar. Based on the outputs of these dialogue sessions, we put forward the following recommendations:

We urge the National Unity Government (NUG) and Emerging Local Governments to

Integrate the principles of Gender/Women, Peace, and Security in policies and governance frameworks

Strengthen understanding and foster increased commitment to the Gender/Women, Peace, and Security principles of all affiliated individuals through capacity-building initiatives

Have regular inter-agencies coordination for collective efforts in information sharing, updating, exchanging insights, and implementing service delivery for the survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and gender-based violence (GBV)

Ensure emergency response, relief, and recovery mechanisms are gender sensitive and sustainable

Adopt contextualized measures to advance the resilience and self-sufficiency of people affected by the conflicts, including strategies to recover their livelihoods

Engage with and effectively utilize the existing media, both online and offline channels, to promote public awareness on gender/women, peace, and security and related actions and developments

Conduct collaborative and action-oriented research with academia and academic institutions to develop evidence-driven policies and programs for advancing the Gender/Women, Peace, and Security agenda

Collaborate on joint monitoring, evaluation, reflection, and learning processes to document the incidents of gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence, preserve evidence, and create a reporting mechanism to safeguard accountability and support transitional justice efforts

We specifically urge the Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR), Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management (MoHADM), Ministry of Women, Children, and Youth Affairs (MoWYCA), Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration (MoHAI), Ministry of Justice (MoJ), and Ministry of Defense (MoD) to

Have regular coordination with local organizations, women’s rights organizations (WROs), and service providers to strategically execute preventive measures and response mechanisms to address gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence and hold the perpetrators accountable

Have a coordinated efforts to rigorously enforce the Prevention of Sexual Harassment, Exploitation, and Abuse (PSHEA) policy

We urge the Ethnic Resistance Organizations (EROs) to

Have consistent coordination with local organizations, women’s rights organizations, and service providers to effectively address gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence, and eliminate the culture of impunity

Ensure the principles of gender equality are mainstreamed in all efforts, including humanitarian and emergency responses

Adopt comprehensive and practical measures to foster women’s meaningful participation in decision-making at all levels

Advocate for efficient mechanisms and procedures to protect women, girls, and socially marginalized communities, for instance, the adoption and enforcement of PSHEA policy

We urge the international actors, funders, and donors to

Establish and support community-driven funding mechanisms, including feminist collaborative funding and cross-border funds, to sustain grassroots efforts and strengthen local resilience.

Collaborate with the NUG, EROs, local organizations, and WROs to design and implement gender-sensitive relief and recovery programs

Create programs and systems to deliver protection and safe spaces for women human rights defenders and the survivors of violence

Execute survivor-centered response mechanisms to address gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence

We urge the ASEAN agencies and member states to

Listen to voices of local people, particularly women and those from marginalized communities, to provide concrete and supportive measures for those disproportionately affected by conflict and violence

Coordinate with local organizations and WROs to ensure the efforts are in line with local needs and concerns

Ensure the effective implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2669/2022

Contact emails for more information:

(1) AIT (GenderLab): [email protected]

(2) colleXive (cXv): [email protected]

(3)M-WPS:  [email protected]

(4) Itthiya Foundation [email protected]

(5) Gender Equality Network: [email protected]