Mingalarbar!  

Welcome to the January 2019 Edition of the GEN Monthly Newsletter! A new year has just begun and we hope this year brings you joy and happiness. At GEN, everyone is back from the holidays and ready start afresh with good energy. We always request a GEN member, friend or staff to provide some insight into their participation with GEN. This month, we request Ms Debbie Selly, who volunteered at GEN for six months as an advisor, to shared her feelings and experience with GEN.

 

 Mingalarbar… I am Debbie Selley.

After retiring from a long career as a professional accountant, in June 2018, I came to Yangon to work with the Finance and Operations staff of the GEN Coordination Unit and will soon leave Myanmar to return to Canada. My volunteer assignment was made in partnership with Cuso International, a Canadian not-for-profit development organization. My assignment was to be an advisor to the Operations Manager and her staff in Finance and Administration and together we have developed new tools to assist the team in their daily work.I am very thankful to have this opportunity to work with the extremely talented and dedicated staff at GEN and to become a member of the family.

 

GEN’s Highlights

With the support of IDRC (International Development Research Centre) through GEN and AIT (Asian Institute of Technology), two GEN members, one government staff and two GEN-CU staff are now attending the five-month research certificate course named “Gender and Social Research Methods” from January to May 2019 at AIT in Bangkok. They are Sr. Candida Kay Thi Naing (Gender Based Violence Shelter’s in Charge, Good Shepherd Myanmar Foundation), Ko Than Oak Soe (Program Assistant of Southeast and Hilly Program, Network Activities Group), Ma Yi Mon (Staff Officer, Department of Social Welfare, Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement), Ma Naw Czarina Pan Po (Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator, Gender Equality Network) and Ko Win Pike Myo (Training Coordinator, Gender Equality Network).

 

 

National Strategic Plan for The Advancement of Women (NSPAW) and Gender Instruments Multiplier Training was held by Gender Equality Network with the corporation with Free and Justice Myanmar, WON and WRG as one of the activities of EU funded project “Empower Civil Society Organization and Local Authorities promoting gender equality in Myanmar”. Gender Equality Network facilitated the training and 40 people (10 M, 30 F) including 38 representatives from 12 CSOs joined the two-day training from 3.1.2019 to 4.1.2019. The training was held at the Pa-Oh Literature and Culture Organization, Karen State, Hpa An township.

 

 

Gender Equality Network facilitated PEA (Political Economy Analysis) workshop on 7th and 8th January at Hotel H-Valley, Yangon as one the activity of European Union Funded Project ‘’Empowered Civil Society Organization and Local Authorities promoting gender equality in Myanmar’’. 24 participants (M-5) (F-18) (Other-1) joined the two-day workshop which was facilitated by Daw Khin Ma Ma Myo with the staffs from partner organizations.

 

 

National Strategic Plan for The Advancement of Women (NSPAW) and Gender Instruments Multiplier Training was held by Gender Equality Network with the corporation with WIG as one of the activities of EU funded project “Empower Civil Society Organization and Local Authorities promoting gender equality in Myanmar”. Gender Equality Network facilitated the training and 31 people (14 M, 19 F) from 14 CSOs joined the two-day training from 8.1.2019 to 9.1.2019. The training was held at the Pa-Oh literature and Culture Organization office, Karen State, Hpa An township.

 

 

National Strategic Plan for The Advancement of Women (NSPAW) and Gender Instruments Multiplier Training was held by Gender Equality Network with the corporation with Women and Peace Action Network as one of the activities of EU funded project “Empower Civil Society Organization and Local Authorities promoting gender equality in Myanmar”. Gender Equality Network facilitated the training and 35 people (4 M, 31 F) from 16 CSOs joined the two-day training from 10.1.2019 to 11.1.2019. The training was held at the St. Joseph Hall, Shan State, Taung Gyi township.

 

 

National Strategic Plan for The Advancement of Women (NSPAW) and Gender Instruments Multiplier Training was held by Gender Equality Network as one of the activities of EU funded project “Empower Civil Society Organization and Local Authorities promoting gender equality in Myanmar”. Gender Equality Network (GEN) and Kachin State Women Network (KSWN) facilitated the training and 20 people (4 M, 16 F) from 10 CSOs joined the two-day training from 21.1.2019 to 22.1.2019. The training was held at the Amber Palace Hotel, Myitkyina township.

 

 

National Strategic Plan for The Advancement of Women (NSPAW) and Gender Instruments Multiplier Training was held by Gender Equality Network with the corporation with Southern Shan State Women Organization Network as one of the activities of EU funded project “Empower Civil Society Organization and Local Authorities promoting gender equality in Myanmar”. Gender Equality Network facilitated the training and 42 teachers (14 M, 28 F) from DTED Special course school joined the two-day training from 19.1.2019 to 20.1.2019. The training was held at the Kan Gyi Quarter, Shan State, Taung Gyi township.

 

 

National Strategic Plan for The Advancement of Women (NSPAW) and Gender Instruments Multiplier Training was held by Gender Equality Network with the corporation with Kachin Women Union (KWU) as one of the activities of EU funded project “Empower Civil Society Organization and Local Authorities promoting gender equality in Myanmar”. Gender Equality Network facilitated the training and 34 people (4 M, 30 F) from CSOs joined the two-day training from 22.1.2019 to 23.1.2019. The training was held at the St.Patrick ballroom, Mohnyin township, Kachin State.

 

 

National Strategic Plan for The Advancement of Women (NSPAW) and Gender Instruments Multiplier Training was held by Gender Equality Network with the corporation with Htoi Gender as one of the activities of EU funded project “Empower Civil Society Organization and Local Authorities promoting gender equality in Myanmar”. Gender Equality Network facilitated the training and 28 people (6 M, 21 F, Other 1) from 10 CSOs joined the two-day training from 19.1.2019 to 20.1.2019. The training was held at Banmaw Township, Paradise Hotel.

 

 

National Strategic Plan for The Advancement of Women (NSPAW) and Gender Instruments Multiplier Training was held by Gender Equality Network with the corporation with WIG, Free and Justice as one of the activities of EU funded project “Empower Civil Society Organization and Local Authorities promoting gender equality in Myanmar”. Gender Equality Network facilitated the training and 27 people (8 M, 19 F,) from 7 CSOs joined the two-day training from 27.1.2019 to 28.1.2019. The training was held at Pa-Oh Literature and Culture Organization Office.

 

 

Meetings and Workshops attended by GEN’s representatives

10th & 11th January 2019 – GEN’s Director attended the De-escalation workshop: “Coming together to end Sexual Harassment and Hate Speech in Myanmar” jointly organized by Harvard Law School, Colors Rainbow, Akhaya and GEN at Park Royal Hotel.

 

 

15th January 2019 – GEN’s Director joined the “Core Cost Policy Orientation Workshop”.

 

 

26th & 27th January 2019 – GEN’s Director attended the “Global Convening on Trafficking in women and girls in the context of Global Migration” organized by IWRAW Asia Pacific in Bangkok.

 

31st January 2019 – GEN’s Director joined PEA (Political Economic Analysis) Workshop in Myitkyina.

 

24th & 25th January 2019 – GEN’s National Consultant, Ma Su Su Nge, provided a training to Civil Health Development Network on gender-based violence in collaboration with KNWO (Karenni National Women’s Organization) in Loikaw. There were 32 participants and they actively discussed in the group work and present their views. 

 

 

30th January 2019 - GEN together with Fair Wear Foundation, CARE Myanmar, International Labor organization (ILO) met with parliamentarian committee to advocate for the inclusion of provisions to prevent sexual harassment in the work place in new Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) law. GEN had been involved in the process long time ago together with other organization and it is expected that the parliament will discuss OSH law in the coming session. 

 

 

31st January 2019 - GEN's National Consultant, Daw Su Su Nge, participated in the event called "Weaving Gender: Challenges and Opportunities for the Myanmar Garment Industry" conducted by International Labor Organization. The event was held on 31st January 2019 at Melia Hotel.