Strength of Women Gathering

IWDA Program Manager for the Thai-Burma border, Renae Davies, shares her experience after recently returning from the field where she met with IWDA partner, the Karen Women’s Organisation:

“While most people were celebrating the Easter holiday last week, I was at a celebration of a different kind – in a refugee camp on the Thai Burma border. I was there to honour IWDA’s partner organisation, the Karen Women’s Organisation (KWO), who were commemorating their 25th anniversary.”

WLB to give testimonials at International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women of Burma

IWDA stand in solidarity with the women of Burma and extend our support and best wishes to our partner organisation, the Women’s League of Burma, who will give testimonials at the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women of Burma, in New York on the 2nd of March 2010.

The Tribunal provides a powerful spotlight on the oppression of women of Burma in order to support the development of a just, democratic and peaceful Burma.

IWDA would like to congratulate partner organisation the Palaung Women’s Organisation (PWO) on their groundbreaking report “Poisoned Hills: Surging Opium Cultivation under Government Control in Burma” which was released yesterday.

PWO’s findings highlight the structural issues underlying the drug problem in Burma and follow a 2006 report ‘Poisoned Flowers’ which examined the devastating impacts of spiralling drug addiction on women in Palaung areas of Burma.

Congratulations to the Women’s League of Burma on 10 Years of Gender Activism!

IWDA would like to congratulate partner organisation, the Women’s League of Burma (WLB), on their 10th Anniversary! In celebration of WLB’s 10 years of gender activism they have published a booklet outlining their achievements: Building a Movement Within the Movement.

Shan Women’s Action Network release latest newsletter

IWDA partner organisation, Shan Women’s Action Network’s (SWAN) latest edition of their newletter in English is now available.

As reported by Burma Partnership below, IWDA partners Karen Women’s Organisation and Women’s League of Burma participated in a march and seminar focusing on ending violence against women, on 25th November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

“On November 25, women from Burma and Thailand gathered in Chiang Mai to mark the 10th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, with a march and seminar on stopping violence against women and families. The Karen Women’s Organisation also held events to raise awareness about violence against women in IDP and refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border.

During the 16 Days campaign, the Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN) are coordinating community awareness raising events, bringing women and men together to acknowledge and address issues of Violence Against Women in their communities.

Events, comprising games, speeches, community theatre performances and information dissemination, will be held at three locations on the Thai Burma border on the 25th of November to highlight the need for all community members to take responsibility to end violence against women.

SWAN are an independent, community-based, feminist network of women from the Shan ethnic group in Burma, now living in Thailand and working towards gender equality and justice for Shan women in the struggle for social and political change in Burma.

Partners: Karen Women’s Org.(KWO) & Women’s League of Burma (WLB)
Country: Thai-Burma Border
The Emerging Leaders program on the Thai/Burma border provides young refugee women from ethnic minority groups who have fled
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