The Alliance for Gender Inclusion in the Peace Process (AGIPP) will continue to push for 30 per cent women’s participation in Burma’s peace process, its chairperson told M.N.A.
AGIPP held its annual meeting and a workshop on cooperation for women, peace, and security in Burma at the Ramanya Hotel in Mawlamyine, Mon State, from 21 to 22 October.
Mi Kun Chan Non the AGIPP chairperson said: “We have demanded 30 per cent women’s participation in the joint ceasefire monitoring committees on state and regional levels, which are processes that are related to peace. But, we still haven’t achieved 30 per cent yet. We will continue to make our demands.”
The Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (JCMC) for Mon State, which was established on 30 June 2016, has 14 members but only two, or 14.3 per cent of its members, are women. They are Mon national Dr Mi Yin Chan and Karen national Naw Sar Htoo.
Though there has been no fighting in Mon State there are frequent cases of human rights violations and rapes in the state, which are rising due to the large numbers of more vulnerable migrant workers living there.
In a 22 October statement AGGIP highlighted 12 issues faced by women. These were: the military offensives in ethnic areas, conflict in ethnic areas, violence against women, rule of law, laws protecting women, assistance for war refugees and migrant workers, human trafficking, drug distribution, poverty, healthcare, loss of land and natural resources, and exclusion of women in the peace process, discussions on reviewing the framework for political dialogue, and resettlement.
There were 94 women at the AGGIP annual meeting, including AGGIP members from Kachin, Shan, Karen, Mon, and Arakan states, the Rangoon Region and representatives from 41 allied associations.
Reporting by Wun Tha Mon for M.N.A
Translated by Thida Linn
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
