WLB urged to include women in peace program

Reported by Aik Sai, Women’s League of Burma (WLB) are urging that women be included during the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) discussion between the government and ethnic armed groups as well as other peace programs

in the country.

With the title “ Women and Peace Talks”, per the anniversary of the International Day of Peace, WLB held an event at Orchid Hotel, in Rangoon, last Saturday (on September 19), wherein they called for the involvement of women in the sectors that concern them.

“At the moment, the government and ethnic armed groups have discussed the NCA. Among them, there are only 2-3 female members. But in the matter of implementing (leading the program), they aren’t involved. When the fighting breaks out, women are the ones who have to suffer first. So, to implement peace, it is necessary to have women participating in it and carry out whatever the women see fit,” said Ma Thithar, chairwoman of Pen Myanmar and who is also a member of WLB.

The government’s Union Peace-making Working Committee (UPWC) and ethnic armed group’s Senior Delegation (SD) are more likely to sign nationwide ceasefire agreement in the first week of October.

Due to the low number of women involved in both two the UPWC and the SD, the women have minimal involvement. The WLB urge allow women in the sector to implement peace work that concerns women and the greater peace process.

“Padoh Naw Zipporah Sein is a member of the SD (Senior Delegation). Daw Dao Buu and another woman are members of UPWC. Dr. Yin Yin Nwe is member of MPC. But they do not get work and they barely get to discuss issues. So, we are requesting women’s involvement, as a percentage, in peace program and to be entitled in implementing the program,” said Nyein Foundation Director Daw Nang Raw, who is a member of WLB, too.

In June, 2015, at the ethnic armed organization summit held at Law Khee Lar, headquarters of Karen National Union (KNU), representatives of WLB attended as observers and they proposed to have women representing 30% of those participating in the peace talk program. Upon their request, the ethnic armed groups accepted.

However, the government responded that the rate of 30% of women involvement in peace talk and program is too much and it is thus far impossible to accept.