Women in Ethnic Armed Organizations in Myanmar: Numbers and narratives

Women’s participation in the Myanmar peace process is an oft-cited goal. While the agreed target is for women’s representation to reach 30%, the actual share of female negotiators is much lower. The only parties to the negotiations are the military and Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs), and the parties choose their own delegates. So, how well are women represented in the EAOs, what kind of work do they do, and do they participate in decision-making as members of the EAOs’ central executive committees? We carried out a survey in Myanmar to find some answers to these questions. In this policy brief, we present the findings in the form of numbers and narratives.