The Central Mon Women Organization (CMWO), the women’s wing of the New Mon State Party (NMSP), held a district-level women’s exchange meeting on February 8 and said it will accelerate activities related to women’s rights and protection.
More than 60 people attended the meeting, including village-level Mon women’s group members, female teachers from Mon national schools, Mon youth representatives and staff from the NMSP health department. Participants came from Yebyu Township and northern and southern parts of Ye Township. The meeting was led by the CMWO secretary.
A CMWO official said the discussion focused on security challenges faced by women amid ongoing conflict and on strengthening activities in areas where the organization has been less active.
“In northern Ye, the organization is divided into two areas, east and west of the main road. In the Khawzar area, instability has made cooperation difficult. When fighting occurs, women are displaced, and in mixed-control areas, even village administrators are reluctant to cooperate. We discussed reorganizing and reopening unified activities.” the official said.
The official added that CMWO will prioritize rebuilding organizational structures and improving communication between central and local levels. Plans include providing women’s capacity-building training and using online platforms to connect with remote or hard-to-reach communities.
Local members said coordination with central leaders has declined in recent years, limiting support for women facing conflict-related and security problems.
“In the past, we met every three months. Now, meetings with township and village leaders happen only about once a year. When higher-level leaders cannot reach us, the challenges increase,” a village-level member told Independent Mon News Agency.
CMWO is also preparing to expand the formation of Mon women’s groups in areas both inside and outside NMSP-controlled territories.
The organization aims to promote women’s rights, strengthen women’s capacity across different sectors and increase women’s participation in decision-making and leadership roles within Mon communities.
Residents in some NMSP-controlled and mixed-administration areas say that during the current period of military rule, authorities have responded weakly to cases of domestic violence and sexual abuse affecting women.
