The Mon Women’s Network released a statement on the 10th anniversary of Mon Women’s Day on Sunday 1 March calling for 30 percent of the positions in the political sector to be reserved for women.
Mi Kon Chan Non, advisor to the Mon Women’s Day organizing committee said: "We want [women] to have 30 percent involvement. But there is no policy, at any organization, for women to be included [in the political sector]."
She continued by saying that women should hold decision-making and leadership roles in the political sector, remarking that the call for such things at the moment is not for women to win more votes, but for women to be represented more fully in the political sphere. The Mon Women’s Network has pledged to help women gain representation, as well as provide educational training for women to increase their interest and knowledge of politics.
The Mon Women’s Network released a statement calling for the government and armed groups to acknowledge the rights of women throughout Burma’s political talks, to carry out justice and uphold the rule of law for women who have been victims of abuse, and to implement policies granting women “national rights, political rights, and peace rights”.
Ko Aung Htoo, the project manager of the the Nyein Foundation based in Mawlamyine, Mon State said: “Women should be involved in 30 percent of politics, and there should be open access for women to do so. To tell the truth political organizations have yet to acknowledge that women should represent 30 percent of their activities. So, while the women themselves have to work hard to become involved in politics, it is also necessary for the other sides, including political organizations, to invite women to work with them."
The 10th anniversary Mon Women’s Day celebration was held on 1 March from 5pm-11pm at Mon Hall in Mawlamyine, Mon State. More than 300 people attended the event, including the Mon State Minister of Economics and Planning Dr. Min Nwe Soe, Hluttaw Representative Dr. Aung Naung Oo, members of the Mon National Party (MNP), members of the All Mon Regions Democracy Party (AMDP), members of civil society organizations and local residents.
Mon Women’s Day honors the birth of famed Mon Queen MiCaoBu (also known as Shinsawpu), born during the waxing of the 12th month of Tapaung in the Mon/Burmese calendar. The first Mon Women's day celebration was held in 2005.
This year’s 10th anniversary Mon Women’s Day was celebrated by Mon women’s organizations in Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, and the U.S.
