16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence: Day 9

Day 9: International Day of Disabled Persons: Violence against Shan Women in Burma

Today, to mark the International Day of Disabled Persons, we feature an article by Claire White, Program Manager for the Thai-Burma Border. Claire explores the linkages between Burma’s militarised history and the prevalence of violence against women in Burma, remarking on the double disadvantage that women with disabilities face in contexts where gender-based violence is endemic.

Living in a country ruled by a military regime, as is the case in Burma, means violence against women is an enduring reality. During November this year, IWDA’s partner organisation, the Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN), reported an increase in military activity surrounding the election in Burma, and the consequences of this for women, which included the rape of a young disabled woman in Shan State.

According to SWAN:

“…troops have been conducting patrols and hunting out villagers suspected of supporting the SSA-N 1st Brigade, which refused to become a Border Guard Force under the Burma Army.

On November 6, a fully armed 10-man patrol…searched the village of Wan Nawng New. One of the troops raped a 25-year-old disabled woman who was alone in her house with her two-year-old niece. The soldier tied up the woman’s hands and feet, and then bound her hair to one of the house posts before raping her. Neighbours heard her screams but did not dare come to her aid until after the patrol had left the village. No one dared complain about the crime, and the woman herself has fled the village in fear of repercussions.” (SWAN, 2010)

Conflict-induced disabilities are rife in many less developed countries with militarised histories, and women with disabilities face a double vulnerability to gender-based violence, due not only to their gender but also to their disability. A culture of impunity means that these women have little recourse to support or justice mechanisms, and the violence continues.

Violence against women in Burma has been well documented by SWAN, who previously published License to Rape, detailing 173 incidents of sexual violence against women in Shan State, Burma, during 1996-2001. The Burma Lawyer’s Council has also recently released an article that examines the profound impact militarisation has had, and continues to have, on the women of Burma. (Read the full article here.) The report states that:

“Against a political backdrop of oppression and violence, women’s status in Burma is worsening…The crimes of the military junta span a wide range of offenses including unlawful killings, forced disappearances, rape, forced labour, and forced relocation, among many others. Each of these crimes is harmful to women but crimes of gender- based violence have perhaps the most profound impact on the status of women in Burma.” (Burma Lawyer’s Council, 2010)

IWDA partners with SWAN in support of their program Women’s Empowerment Program, a series of exchange forums and events on the Thailand Burma border.  This series works towards women’s empowerment, advancement and well-being by raising awareness of issues around violence and overcoming barriers to women’s participation. The Women’s Empowerment Program also includes a special event with women’s groups, teachers and community leaders that took place on the International Day to Eliminate Violence against Women on the 25^th of November. This program is part of IWDA’s Safety and Security Program, which focuses on women’s rights to a safe and secure life, free from violence and conflict.

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16 Days of Activism is a global campaign encouraging organisations and individuals across the world to take a stand against gender-based violence. The campaign starts on 25th November: The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and ends on 10th December: World Human Rights Day.

16 Days of Activism was started by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership 18 years ago. The campaign’s beginning and end dates highlight that violence against women is a human rights violation.

Thousands of diverse groups and individuals now take part in 16 Days, together calling for an end to all types of violence against women. Each year people organise events in their communities, including meetings, conferences, demonstrations, exhibitions and performances.

This year at IWDA, we have decided to use the 16 Days to highlight the work our partners in Asia and the Pacific are doing to improve the situation for women and girls in their communities, as well as the work IWDA is undertaking in Australia. Each day between 25th November and 10th December, we will post a short article about 16 Days on our website, Facebook page, and Twitter page.

Tags: 16 Days of Activism, SWAN, Thai Burma Border

This entry was posted on Friday, December 3rd, 2010 under 16_Days, Recent.
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