Local women’s groups are risking their lives to help Myanmar’s displaced people
Women’s organizations struggle to fill the humanitarian aid gap in Myanmar, Mixed Migration Centre launches a new portal for data on mixed migration routes, and Free The Slaves offers training resources for activists on government accountability and social inclusion.
Since the coup in Myanmar, and the subsequent humanitarian crisis, local women’s organizations have stepped up to support vulnerable populations, the majority of whom are women and children. With calls for stronger international action falling upon seemingly deaf ears, women are throwing themselves into the crossfire of armed clashes – sometimes literally – to meet the growing need for aid. Women are among those who are most at-risk in conflict settings, yet in Myanmar they are often found at the frontline, responding to humanitarian needs.
However, local groups cannot do this work alone – they need support from international actors and flexibility from donors. In an opinion piece for The Diplomat, Maggi Quadrini writes that, “An effective gendered response to the humanitarian crisis [in Myanmar] requires assistance from the international community… Local organizations need concrete action immediately, in particular, support and funding via grassroots women’s organizations.”
Following the military takeover on 1 February, and the widespread resistance that followed, a series of humanitarian, economic, and security crises has unfolded across the country, including violent and deadly clashes, arrests, displacement, chronic illness, the risk of starvation, the collapse of financial systems, and public services that no longer function. Nearly 900 civilians have been killed and thousands remain in detention for resisting the junta’s grip on power.
In crisis situations, women’s organizations in Myanmar have historically been relied upon to ensure the delivery of life-saving aid and materials particularly to communities in remote areas – they have long been valued for their empathy and commitment to providing aid for the most vulnerable. Across decades, they’ve carried out tasks that government and international aid organizations have been unable to do, given their lack of native language skills and unfamiliarity with remote areas of the country.
Now, despite the risks, women human rights defenders are putting their lives on the line to deliver this life-saving support. In Kayah State, the Karenni National Women’s Organization is working to support over 60,000 internally displaced persons. In Karen State, the Karen Women’s Organization continues to advocate for crossborder aid – fighting between the Myanmar army and armed resistance groups has displaced over 70,000 civilians in Karen State alone. Ethnic women’s organizations in various conflict zones in Shan and Kachin States are also working to respond through their networks and local channels to support internally displaced people.
Maggi states that donors must increase their flexibility at this time. They also need to work with community leaders to establish the most effective ways to distribute funding safely. Crossborder aid, for example, is one channel that is being used effectively to meet the needs of those on the ground.
It’s possible to push back without being on the front lines. Donors can work with local ethnic organizations from a distance. They can help ensure that aid reaches the most vulnerable so that lives can be saved and justice can be met.
Here’s a round-up of other noteworthy news and initiatives:
You’re invited to join a workshop on the Missing Awareness and Safety School program (MASSp) on 13 July, 2021. The program has been developed and implemented by Missing Link Trust (MISSING), and the group is excited to share, learn and collaborate with other organizations working to prevent the abuse and exploitation of children and young adults across the world. They will also discuss how this program can be adapted across different cultures/geographies and its relevance for communities across the world.
On 29 June, Siobhán Mullally, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, presented a report to the Human Rights Council in which she said that to effectively protect victims of trafficking, states must ensure that victims are not held liable for any unlawful activity carried out as a direct consequence of their trafficking situation, regardless of the gravity or seriousness of the offence committed.
Mixed Migration Centre’s latest initiative, 4Mi Interactive, is a portal that provides a new way of exploring and visualizing data on mixed migration. You can now access information from its core data collection regarding refugees and migrants travelling on mixed migration routes. Beginning with 8,600 interviews, to be updated quarterly, the new dashboard will take you through the journey of people on the move, their aspirations, experiences and decision-making.
A new podcast tells the story of 200 young women from Sierra Leone, west Africa, who have been trapped in the Arabian sultanate of Oman, desperate to get home. Initially promised work in shops and restaurants, they say they were tricked into becoming housemaids, working up to 18 hours a day, often without pay, and sometimes abused by their employers. Some ran away, to live a dangerous underground existence at the mercy of the authorities – but now they are being rescued and repatriated, and some are empowering themselves as independent farmers back home.
The southern Italian region of Calabria has obtained about €1 million (US$1.2 million) from central government to fund a project to fight human trafficking as well as sexual and labour exploitation, begging, arranged marriages and organ trafficking.
Free The Slaves has just completed a program of training for journalists and activists in Mauritania on how to hold the government accountable for its anti-trafficking promises and promote social inclusion of marginalized groups. Its videos, slides, workshop agendas and materials are available for others to use.
In a new podcast episode, Friends of the Earth Europe goes behind the scenes of a new European law that could potentially could hold EU companies accountable for their sub-contractors’ actions abroad, and explores the tactics and arguments that corporate lobbies are using to fight against it.
Asia Region Anti-Trafficking Conference will be held online starting 19 July, 1pm ICT. All live sessions and Q&As will be recorded and made available for viewing as soon as possible, so you can view them at your convenience. Keynote speakers include: Kevin Bales, Dr. Obokata, Aarti Kapoor, Archana Kotecha, Matt and Amy Smith, and more. Sessions will cover: Networking, Organizational Self Care, Impacts of COVID-19, Businesses and Their Roll for Support, Survivor Inclusion: A Call to Action, among other subjects.
Hope for Justice is recruiting for an on-the-ground consultant or consultants to carry out a country-level contextual analysis for the Philippines as part of its development of programs to combat modern slavery and trafficking in persons.
Seattle Against Slavery, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that aims to end sexual exploitation in our communities by changing culture through prevention, intervention, and transformation, is currently looking for an Executive Director.
One of our organization members is looking for someone to support their communications work for a few hours per month. This is a good opportunity for a student in European/African time zones. Please get in touch via email.
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