Mingalarbar!
Welcome to the March 2019 Edition of the GEN Monthly Newsletter! The International Women’s Day event was held on 9th March at Mahar Bandula park and it was such a successful event. Union Minister attended and a lot of people participated. We also congratulate Ma Cherry Soe on winning the Champion for Gender Equality Award.
We always request a GEN member, friend or staff to provide some insight into their participation with GEN. This month, we request the Good Shepherd Myanmar Foundation, who won the most active CSO/INGO member award in 2018, to share their feelings and experience with GEN.
Mingalarbar!
With great pleasure, I am sending my warmest greetings to you all in this special month where we proudly celebrate International Women’s Day. My congratulations and special remembrance to all those women and men who have contributed their effort in fighting for the rights and dignity of women and girls in Myanmar and around the world.
I am Sr. Rebecca Kay Thi Oo, the Director of Good Shepherd Myanmar Foundation. Together with my members, I stand with all the vulnerable women and work to end gender-based violence in Myanmar.
We are grateful to be part of Gender Equality Network where we find unity and collective strength of individuals and organizations advocating for the cause of most vulnerable groups in Myanmar. Gender Equality Network is a living proof that together we can move the toughest mountains.
I take this opportunity to affirm that our foundation will continue to actively participate in the activities of Gender Equality Network and collaborate with all the members to reach our dreams of creating a better society in Myanmar where women and girls enjoy their rights in the fullness of life.
Let us hold on together so that our dreams will never die….
GEN's Highlights
Gender Equality Network conducted the staff capacity development workshop from 1st to 2nd March at Lucky Dragon Hotel in Pyay.
Accountability and Governance Workshop 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) facilitated the training and 58 people (20 M, 36 F, 2 Others) from 15CSOs and Local Authorities joined the two-day training from 25.2.2019 to 27.2.2019. The training was held at No.119, Myint Mo Street, Nyaung PhyuSakan Quarter, Cherry Queen Hotel Hotel, Taunggyi.
Social Accountability and Governance Workshop (SAG) 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) facilitated the training and 37 people (12 M, 25 F) from 13CSOs and Local Authorities joined the two-day training from 19.2.2019 to 21.2.2019. The training was held at Madria Hotel, Myitkyina.
The International Women’s Day event was held on 9th March 2019 at Maharbandula Park. Working groups members displayed their respective booths in the afternoon. In the evening when the event started, Union Minister Dr Win Myat Aye (Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement) and Minister of Social Affairs U Naing Ngan Lin (Yangon Region Government) gave the speech which was followed by the entertainment and quiz session. Director Christina Kyi gave an inspirational talk and finally, the Champion for Gender Equality award was given to Mi Cherry Soe. A lot of people came and participated in the activities actively and the event was successfully over around 8 pm.
Gender Equality Network participated in the International Women's Day ceremony organised by the Myanmar National Committee of Women on 8th March 2019 and distributed the research papers, books and other IEC materials published by GEN. That ceremony was held at MICC 2 in Nay Pyi Taw and representatives from the government ministries and women organisations.
Accountability and Governance Workshop 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) facilitated the training and 48 people (19 M, 29 F,) from 13CSOs and Local Authorities joined the two-day training from 4.3.2019 to 6.3.2019. The training was held at Perfect Hotel, Hpa An.
Gender Equality Network facilitated Stakeholders Consultation Workshop On Understanding Barriers and Pathways to Women’s Political Participation in Myanmar on 16th March 2019 as one the activity of IDRC. 35 participants (30 F, 5 M) from government departments and CSOs joined the workshop which was held at Emerald Room, Best Western Green Hill Hotel, Yangon.
“Experience Sharing about The Good Practices on NSPAW Workshop” was successfully held today on 26th March at Summit Parkview Hotel. 28 people (5 M, 23 F) attended and Ms Michelle Onello and Ma Phyu Phyu San from Global Justice Center acted as facilitators. The workshop was very productive and the participants expressed their opinions and provided inputs.
Member Consultation Workshop for Gender Analysis on Labour Law was held today on 28th March at Summit Parkview Hotel. Ms Michelle Onello and Ma Phyu Phyu San from Global Justice Center acted as facilitators and analysed the labour laws from the gender perspective. 26 people (4 M, 22 F) attended the workshop and actively participated in the discussion.
Meetings and Workshops Attended by GEN’s Representatives
1st and 2nd March 2019 - GEN’s National Consultant joined the staff capacity building workshop of GEN in Pyay and provided her suggestions and comments in reviewing ToR of GEN CU staff and policies developed by GEN such as Communication Policy, Finance Policy, Human Resource Policy etc.
2nd March 2019 – GEN’s Advisor participated in the GEN’s Staff Working Retreat in Pyay. GEN organized a working retreat of all GEN staff to review all the Terms of Reference of staff members and reviewed all the policies recently developed by GEN. The event was organized to enhance team building among the staff.
4th March 2019 – GEN’s Head of Policy Advocacy Unit joined the press organized by the LGBTIQ groups in Myanmar at the grand ballroom of Sedona Hotel.
6th March 2019 – GEN’s National Consultant and the Head of Policy Advocacy Unit joined the meeting with Women MP for advocating domestic worker law in Nay Pyi Taw. The meeting was the sharing of legal gap analysis by Legal Clinic Myanmar organized by NDI and ILO.
6th March 2019 - GEN's Head of Policy Advocacy joined the panel at the CHIME study discussion workshop in Nay Pyi Taw. The objective of the workshop is to discuss the findings of the CHIME study with key government stakeholders from relevant departmental areas. The discussion topics for the workshop centre around four main topics: Indebtedness, Agriculture, Urbanisation and Gender.
8th March 2019 – GEN’s Advisor and Director participated in the Celebration of the International Women's Day organized by the Ministry of Social Welfare and UNWOMEN in Nay Pyi Taw. A national level forum participated by Ministers, Development Partners, UN agencies, government representatives, INGOs and local NGO representatives. The event included panel discussions and entertainment in celebration of the event. GEN organized an exhibition booth of GEN's publications and arranged for a traditional chanting group to perform in the second part of event.
8th March 2019 - GEN's Director participated in the International Women's Day marking the importance of the role of women in the peace process organised by Joint Peace Fund (JPF).
8th March 2019 - GEN's Director attended the International Women's Day event organised by the IWD working group at Mahar Bandula Park.
13th March 2019 - GEN’s Advisor attended a meeting with IDEA at IDEA’s office in Yangon. IDEA staff, GEN Advisor and Triangle Women Representative. IDEA together with GEN and Triangle Women will jointly organize a Training of Trainers Workshop in July on Constitutional Assessment and Women Empowerment. GEN members can participate as trainers.
16th March 2019 – GEN’s Advisor and Director participated in the Stakeholder Consultation Workshop with key Stakeholders for Gender and Politics research organized by GEN at Green Hill Hotel. GEN's Director gave an opening speech. Government staff, Political Party representatives, GEN members, local NGOs, INGOs attended the workshop and the consultative meeting was organized to discuss about the forthcoming research on Women's Participation in Politics and to obtain their input into the process of questionnaire development .There was a lot of interest in the research and the participants want to have more opportunities in questionnaire development.
18th March 2019 – GEN’s Advisor attended a meeting with a consultant undertaking a mapping of inclusive education to inform mainstreaming of inclusive education, focusing on terminology, projects, activities and resources for inclusive education. This was a good opportunity to share experiences of GEN in mainstreaming GEN in Education sector.
19th and 20th March 2019 - GEN's Director participated in an orientation workshop for KWPN's focal persons as a trainer in Myit Kyi Nar. She provided a 2-day training for 28 focal persons from 14 townships of Kachin State on NSPAW, CEDAW, PoVAW law awareness.
21st March 2019 - GEN’s National Consultant joined the working group meeting on the protection and promotion of Domestic Worker’s Rights at ILO office to discuss future plan for advocating with key stakeholders for domestic worker law, whether to form law drafting working group or not and working with selected regional Hluttaws for pushing our agenda forwards.
22nd March 2019 - GEN's Director participated in the panel discussion on social cohesion in Kachin State in a report launch named "Behind the Masks: Masculinities, Gender, Peace and Security in Myanmar" organised by RAFT in Yangon.
Local NGO, named Three Good Spoons launched a project funded by International Labor Organization (ILO) with the objective of promoting skill of domestic workers and protection their rights. The organization will provide five trainings to domestic workers (each training accepts 8 participants) on cleaning, basic nursing, Basic English skill, nutrition etc. in preparing for their work in country and aboard. GEN’s National Consultant joined the meeting as participants and provided inputs in securing the rights of both employer and employee and how the job allocation should be after the training.
22nd March 2019 – GEN’s Advisor attended a meeting with the review team of DANIDA/DCA-NCA at the GEN’s office to review DCA-NCA 's role in implementing the EU-funded project. At the meeting, areas of collaboration and needs for further assistance from DCA-NCA were explored.
26th March 2019 - GEN's Director participated as a facilitator in the NSPAW Consultation Workshop organised by GEN. The workshop focused on the discussion of the international's good practices and how those experieces should be considered in local context.
28th March 2019 - GEN's Director participated in the consulation meeting on GEWE priorities which discussed about taking stock of gender priorities in the country and preparing for the next phase of our support to GEWE issues in Myanmar organised by Finnish Embassy.
28th March 2019 - GEN's National Consultant participated in a workshop on gender analysis on Labor Laws organised by GEN at Summit Parkview Hotel for its member organizations and individuals on what principles and treaties should be considered in reviewing labor related laws. The facilitator and participants actively discussed how CSOs should advocate concerned parties for gender sensitive labor laws and shared good practices among countries.
31st March 2019 - GEN's Director acted as a trainer in the Basic Gender & Gender Mainstreaming training organised by Myanmar School of Politics in Heho. She provided one-day basic gender and gender mainstreaming training for 17 participants from nine political parties based in Eastern Shan State.