Burmese

Background

The February 2021 coup and ensuing worsening armed conflict across Myanmar have exacerbated existing gender-based discrimination, violence, and human rights violations perpetrated against women and girls by the Myanmar military and other armed groups. Members of the LGBTQ community have additionally been targeted and have suffered on the basis of their diverse gender identities and sexual orientations.

The junta’s war against civilians has led to protracted humanitarian and economic crises that are uniquely impacting gender equality and women’s rights in Myanmar, especially among ethnic minority groups, internally displaced populations, and other vulnerable groups in conflict-affected areas, including Rohingya. However, women refuse to be seen only as victims of conflict and have continued to show resilience and strength, playing a leading role in the pro-democracy movement and demanding that gender equality be realized alongside the revolution.

Accordingly, the Special Rapporteur will be publishing a conference room paper focusing on the gendered impact of conflict and human rights violations since the coup on marginalized communities across Myanmar, and the role of women and gender equality in the opposition movement.  

Types of input sought

The Special Rapporteur invites States, UN bodies, international organizations, civil society organizations, academics, networks, and other relevant stakeholders to share information, documents, statements, data, and analysis that address any of the following topics:

1. Discrimination on the basis of gender and sexuality through laws, policies, directives, and requirements that target the rights of women and people with diverse gender identities, including members of Myanmar’s LGBTQ community.
2. Participation in political and public life, including trends and changes in women’s and LGBTQ persons’ representation, participation, and leadership in peace processes and federal democracy discussions, the Civil Disobedience Movement, strike committees, armed resistance groups, and governing bodies, including the National Unity Government, National Unity Consultative Council, Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, state and regional consultative councils, and ethnic resistance organizations.
3. Human rights defenders, including the unique treatment, risks, and experience of civil society groups and activists advocating for rights related to gender equality and women’s rights.
4. Access to humanitarian aid, including the gendered impacts and structural barriers preventing women, girls, and LGBTQ populations from receiving or meaningfully benefiting from humanitarian assistance and services to women, girls, and LGBTQ persons.
5. Impact of displacement, including the conditions and unique experience of women, girls, and LGBTQ persons in displacement camps and hiding sites, and the particular impact of repeated and prolonged displacement.
6. Health challenges, including the impact of the coup on access to sexual and reproductive health services, mental health, and psychological support services, and information on resulting changes to the prevalence of disease and health trends for women and girls, as well as LGBTQ people.
7. Employment, including gendered impacts and changes to participation in the labor force, wages, labor conditions, and obstacles impairing the right to work.
8. Education, including the impact of the coup on girls’ access to basic education and higher education, and changes to the literacy rate, if any.
9. Gendered protection risks such as forced marriage, sex work, and trafficking, including trends and changes to the existence of these risks, and the impact of the coup and economic crisis on negative coping mechanisms contributing to these risks.
10. Gender-based violence, including domestic violence, sexual violence, and femicide, including the availability of legal remedies, safehouses and psychosocial support services, and the impact of gender-based violence in other aspects of victims’ lives.
11. Unique gender-based challenges faced by ethnic minority, internally displaced, and stateless populations, including trends in the experience of Rohingya women and girls.

Submitting organizations and individuals should focus on describing their own research and analysis rather than summarizing the findings of others. Organizations and individuals can make submissions in any format. Detailed descriptions of research methodology and sources of information will be greatly appreciated.

Treatment of submissions

The Special Rapporteur may cite the names of organizations or individuals that have provided information in response to this call. However, submitting organizations or individuals may request confidentiality.