Mingalarbar!
Welcome to the July 2019 Edition of the GEN Monthly Newsletter! As 3rd July is the Myanmar Women’s Day, it was celebrated in various states and regions across Myanmar. GEN also made contributions for the Myanmar Women’s Day ceremonies and participated actively.
We always request a GEN member, friend or staff to provide some insight into their participation with GEN. This month, we request one of GEN-CU staff, Ma Aye Thada Hla, to share her feelings and experience with GEN.
Mingalarbar!
Hello GEN family! I hope you working energetically for our community development along with the monsoon.
I have been part of GEN network since 2012 July, when GEN was changing its new title from Women Protection Technical Working Group. At that time, I was working as a sole communications staff of GEN-Coordination Unit with limited knowledge and experience on gender and networking.
In these past years, I had the opportunity to experience the collective policy advocacy process through NSPAW, PoVAW law, and CEDAW alternative reporting along with GEN members. Moreover, I have the chance to support in the process of a variety of public campaigns, many types of research, and its publications as well to achieve women rights and gender equality in Myanmar. These challenging experiences transformed me to become a person with more skilful, knowledgeable, confidence and patient.
In 2007, I have an opportunity to study aboard in the area of communications and development. The program equipped me new knowledge and skill through a number of exposures and experiences that give a new perspective as well. Through the program, I found out that the collective effort for policy advocacy that GEN utilize is a successful approach in theory and practice and I am very proud to be part of GEN. In these past seven years, I am growing with GEN. Now I am eager to apply what I learned from my study to achieve women rights and gender equality in our society through GEN.
GEN’s Highlights
Myanmar Women's Day
Myanmar National Committee on Women (MNCW) organised the Myanmar Women’s Day Ceremony which fell on 3rd July at the Myanmar International Convention Center – 2 in Nay Pyi Taw. State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi attended and gave the opening speech. In the discussions, Daw May Sabe Phyu (Director, Gender Equality Network) acted as a moderator in women and media section and Daw Nwe Zin Win (Co-chair, Gender Equality Network) reinforced as the main speaker in gender budgeting in relevant sectors section.
At the ceremony, awards were given to the winners of essay and article competition and to the outstanding individuals from different fields. GEN arranged to perform the thangyat performance named “Transformative Women Leaders in Myanmar Society” and distributed the books. On 2nd July, GEN participated in the tree plantation event which was a pre-event of the Myanmar Women’s Day. GEN also thanks to the members who participated and joined the ceremony.
Gender Equality Network participated in the Myanmar Women's Day ceremony organized by the Myanmar National Committee on Women (MNCW) on 3rd July at the Yangon Nursing University hall in Yangon. GEN displayed the IEC materials and distributed the book named "Transformative Women Leaders in Myanmar Society Volume 2" which will soon be launched to the attendees.
Gender Equality Network participated in the Myanmar Women's Day ceremony organized by the Myanmar National Committee on Women (MNCW) on 3rd July in different states and regions by displaying and distributing the IEC materials. Advisor with U Aung Tun Khaing and a team of GEN staff had undertaken a mission to Sittwe, Rakhine with the purpose of (i) meeting with the Department of Social Welfare to discuss the work plan for joint activities on gender equality and women empowerment in Rakhine, and (ii) to celebrate the Myanmar Women’s Day on 3 July organized by the Rakhine Committee for Women. With the financial support of Oxfam, GEN organized the exhibition booth and distributed GEN’s publications and the promotional materials produced by Oxfam.
GEN organized the NSPAW and gender instruments ToT refresher training with the participation of CSOs on 5th July 2019 at Sakawah Hall in Yangon. GEN’s Training Coordinator mainly facilitated the whole refresher training and reflected the previous multiplier training experiences from the participants of each state/region.
GEN and LGBT Rights Network co-organized the Consultation workshop with LGBT Rights Network on Penal Code 377 on 30th June 2019 and GEN’s Head of Policy Advocacy, Head of Program, Training Coordinator, Representatives from LGBT Rights Network and Lawyers attended.
Center for Creative Leadership Training (CCL) Women's Leadership Training funded by EU was held on 10th, 11th and 12th July 2019 at Cherry Queen Hotel in Taunggyi. 35 representatives from 26 CSOs attended and GEN’s Training Coordinator facilitated the training.
Gender Mainstreaming Technical Working Group which is one of the technical working groups of Myanmar National Committee on Women (MNCW) held its second quarterly meeting for 2019 on 24th July at Thingaha Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw. Government officials, representatives from INGOs, NGOs, and CSOs attended and there were 45 participants (4 M, 41 F). Advisor and Project Manager participated to discuss about the TWG work plan and the activities to be undertaken during the remaining months of the year.
Engaging Men working group meeting and 16 Days working group meeting were held on 24th July 2019 at GEN's resource centre. At the Engaging Men meeting, members discussed the future work plan and at 16 Days meeting, working group members brainstormed the ideas for the upcoming 16 Days of Activism Campaign.
GEN facilitated a meeting related the draft PoVAW to law with members which was held on 25th July 2019 at GEN’s Resource Center. GEN presented and discussed the recommendations made by GEN for the draft PoVAW law and asked for the inputs from the members.
Meetings and Workshops Attended by GEN’s Representatives
26th June 2019 – GEN’s Head of Program and Technical Advisor U Aung Tun Khaing had an advocacy meeting with Director, Myanmar Radio-Television Department in Nay Pyi Taw.
27th June 2019 – GEN’s Head of Program and Technical Advisor U Aung Tun Khaing donated GEN’s publications to the prison departments and the Public Relations Department in Nay Pyi Taw for the Community Centers at township level.
27th June 2019 - GEN's Director attended the launching ceremony of Baykin application powered by 360Ed and participated as a panelist in the discussion.
28th – 29th June 2019 - Two days Monitoring and Evaluation Framework workshop was held by National Consultant at Sule Shangrila Hotel in Yangon. The workshop was aimed to understand data collection tools, to identify challenges, to recognize data flow and to develop Monitoring and Evaluation Plan based on GEN’s currents needs. Total 42 GEN staff actively participated in the workshop and at the end of the workshop, participants had a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities on Monitoring and Evaluation as well as tools required for data collection and reporting.
1st – 2nd July and 18th July 2019 – During the month of July, GEN had undertaken an organizational development workshop facilitated by an external consultant with the participation of all staff of the Coordination Unit. The first two days involved identification of GEN’s strength and weaknesses and interventions that are needed to strengthen the work of GEN. The third day of the workshop focused on the activities to be undertaken by GEN to strengthen the Coordination Unit and the member network as a whole.
4th July 2019 – GEN’s Head of Program and the National Consultant Daw Su Su Nge attended the labour working group meeting and discussed the advocacy strategy on the Domestic Workers Law.
8th July 2019 -- Advisor met with a team from Internews to discuss the project on “Women, Media and Peace” that aims to empower the journalist through the provision of grants to individual journalist to write about women’s issues and for producing short films or documentary. Additional information on these initiatives will be shared with GEN members when available.
9th – 10th July 2019—Selected GEN’s CU staff participated in the Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar Initiative through participating in the roundtable discussion on gender equality and the Knowledge Market Place by exhibiting and distributing GEN’s publications.
10th – 12th July 2019 – GEN’s Head of Program attended the Safe and Fair Dialogue workshop which is a dialogue on the Safe Migration and Violence against Women and explore the way on strengthening the cross-country coordination mechanism organized in Bangkok, Thailand.
10th July 2019 – Gender Equality Network participated in the Knowledge HUB (Knowledge sharing market place) organized by IDRC at Mercure Hotel on 10th July and distributed the research papers and publications published by GEN. Director of GEN-CU, Daw May Sabe Phyu, participated as a moderator at Gender and Decentralization Panel at the forum.
11th July 2019 - GEN Director participated as a penalist in a World Population Day event organized by Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population and UNFPA. The panel discussion highlighted Myanmar progress on implementation of Programme of Action of ICPD and how to best meet the Unfinished Business of the ICPD Programme of Action. In the panel discussion, GEN's director focused on history, current and future plan for gender and GVB by gender expert, GVB and harmful practices against women and girls, Women’s empowerment and gender equality. The event was also attended by the Vice President of Myanmar and he delivered the opening speech.
14th July 2019 - GEN Director participated in "BreakgendernormsMyanmar" Campaign which is hosted by Blossom and Rainbow Six, to celebrate "International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT). The campaign aims to be able to create a world free from discrimination.
19th July 2019 – GEN’s SC member, Dr Moe Moe Aung, represented GEN in Myanmar National Committee on Women (MNCW) that participated in Martyrs' Day Ceremony held on 19th July 2019 at Martyrs' Mausoleum in Yangon. MNCW was among the organizations and associations that laid wreaths and paid tribute to Bogyoke Aung San and the Martyrs.
21st July 2019 – GEN’s Head of Policy Advocacy and Training Coordinator attended a workshop on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was held at Horizon Lake View Resort in Nay Pyi Daw on 21st July 2019. Equality Myanmar together with CEDAW Alliance hosted the CEDAW workshop under Rights for All project. The workshop was attended by members of parliament, Department of Social Welfare, the human rights defenders and the civil society organizations working on women rights from Kachin state, Shan state, Kayin state, Mon state, Mandalay region, and Tanintharyi region. Rights For All project is being implemented by Equality Myanmar, Local Resource Centre and DCA-NCA with the fund of the European Union.
