Overview
For decades, the Myanmar/Burma junta has maintained a system of oppression, reinforcing patriarchal structures that systematically exclude women and ethnic minorities. The military's rule has led to long-term negative impacts on gender equality, denying women leadership roles while exposing them to gender-based violence (GBV) and other human rights violations. Ethnic women, in particular, have faced the worst consequences of this deeply entrenched discrimination.
Since the February 2021 coup, the junta has initiated a campaign of human rights abuses and atrocities, leading to the deadliest period in the past four years.[1] The proportion of women among civilian casualties increased from 6% in 2021 to nearly 22% by 2024.[2] Women and children, who make up the majority of displaced persons, are disproportionately affected by armed conflict and systematic violence.
Between July and December 2024, millions of people across Burma/Myanmar suffered extreme hardships. Children were deprived of education, faced severe food and water shortages, and struggled with rising costs of essential goods. Widespread unemployment, power outages, and transportation challenges further deepened the crisis. Women, particularly in conflict-affected ethnic areas, bore the additional burden of ensuring family survival while navigating heightened risks of GBV, forced displacement, and economic hardship.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), since the coup, a total of 6,092 civilians have been killed by the junta, including at least 1,103 women and 695 children. Over the past year alone, 531 women and 248 children were killed, marking a significant increase from 2023. The junta’s retaliatory airstrikes, shelling, and indiscriminate attacks have displaced entire communities, forcing women and children to flee with little to no resources.[3]
Much of this violence is a direct consequence of the junta's loss of territorial control. By the end of 2024, the military-controlled less than half of the country. In an effort to crush resistance movements, The SAC targets innocent civilians, particularly in ethnic regions where it assumes local communities support the resistance. Entire villages have been targeted, forcing repeated cycles of displacement and exacerbating the suffering of ethnic women, who already face systemic discrimination and exclusion from aid distribution.[4]