Description
Since the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, the country has experienced widespread human rights violations and political unrest, including conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). Its intersection between political violence and gendered resistance makes CRSV particularly difficult to prevent, respond to, and redress in an ongoing armed conflict. Women’s Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Myanmar have been primary agents for advocating and protecting women and girls from sexual and gender-based violence in Myanmar's conflicts. Yet, in a highly militarised environment, women’s political marginalisation will compromise any effort to prevent and address CRSV. This study aims to answer two main research questions: 1) What political opportunities exist for women’s CSOs in Myanmar to advocate and address CRSV in the (formal and informal) political spaces? and 2) What is needed to strengthen the CRSV prevention, protection and response efforts within ongoing intensified conflicts? By answering these questions, the research aims to offer unique insights into how political conditions such as armed conflicts and militarisation undermine women’s agency in CRSV protection and response efforts, and how localised civil-military dynamics influence everyday protection work led by local women CSOs at the frontline. Finally, it examines the extent to which women’s CSOs engage in addressing CRSV across formal and informal political arenas involving both state and non-state actors.
