Women’s Political Participation and Empowerment in Post-Coup Myanmar

This side event will explore women’s political participation and empowerment in post-coup Myanmar. Building on CSW68 priority theme of accelerating achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment by strengthening institutions with a gender perspective, the event aims to explore challenges and opportunities for strengthening women’s representation, voice, and agency in Myanmar’s post-coup interim democratic institutions, on union and state level.

Women’s political participation and empowerment in post-coup Myanmar is growing. Women make up at least 60 percent of Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement, serving in combat roles and non-lethal resistance efforts, as fighters, politicians, fundraisers, and activists. While political life in Myanmar has been traditionally male dominated, keeping successive generations of men in positions of power, women have taken on increasing roles and responsibilities in post-coup Myanmar. From 13% women MPs elected in the 2015 general election, the percentage of women’s political representation increased to 16-18% women MPs in 2020 elections, as per data of the Union Election Commission.

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