Introduction
Ten years have passed since the Beijing Conference. Some sisters around the world have acknowledged that there has been some progress related to commitment towards the BPFA on the part of governments. But for women from Burma, nothing has changed.
SPDC and the Beijing Process:
Burma’s ruling military regime, now called the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has been participating at women's forums at the UN since the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. SPDC sent a delegation led by a male military officer to the Beijing Conference. In 1996, it established the Myanmar National Committee for Women's Affairs (MNCWA), whose patrons were all men. Working committees were formed at different levels: state, division, district, township and ward/village. Almost all were led by wives of SPDC personnel. Other government organized women's organizations [GONGOs] were formed, namely: the Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association (MMCWA); the Myanmar Women Sports Federation (MWSF), and the Myanmar Women Entrepreneur Association (MWEA). In December 2004, the MNCWA was renamed the Myanmar Women's Affairs Federation (MWDF). In 1997, the SPDC signed the CEDAW, and submitted their first report to the CEDAW committee in 2000. Their delegation to the committee was led by a man. As for implementation of the BPFA, the SPDC identified six areas as the first phase for a national plan for action. They were: Education and Training, Health, Economy, Violence against Women, the Girl Child, and "Culture," an area not outlined in the BPFA.