The activists working for women affairs have called on the elected female candidates to pay more attention to reducing the amount of violence directed against women.
More women have been elected in Kachin State than in the 2020 General Election and local people are expecting the elected candidates to deal with the neglect of women’s rights.
Daw Htoo Lwan from Zeelon IDP camp in Kachin State said: “I would like to call on the authorities to take stern action against those who commit violence against women and young girls, and to really solve the problem rather than just paying lip service. Officials do not take effective action to stop violence against females. I would like to urge the women MPs to help in taking effective action against female violence”
In the 2015 General Elections, there were five female candidates in Kachin State. In the 2020 General Elections, the number of female candidates from Kachin State has doubled to ten (six MPs in Kachin State parliament).
CSOs working for women affairs report the country sees an increasing number of gender-based violence day by day ranging from issues arising from physical, mental, socio-economy and sexual violence including domestic violence and weak provisions of existing laws.
Daw Nan Pu, a female right activist CSO said: “I would like to call on the female candidates from Kachin State to enable females to take a leading role in the leadership of women affairs by listening to the women’s voices. Female candidates need to take account of the rights of women as they will have to get involved in legislation and policy-making. Until now the PoVAW (Prevention of Violence against Women Law draft law) on women has not been approved yet. I would like to urge the female MPs to carry out the soonest enactment of that law being drafted for seven years so as to prevent the violence against women.”
Giving legal protection to women who face violence has very low priority. This is due to the lack of the provisions of the domestic violence law. The decisions are made in accord with the Penal Code.
Myanmar signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1997.
Since 2013, the government started drafting the Prevention of Prevention of Violence against Women Law Violence against Women Law (PoVAW) in cooperation with the CSOs and international organizations in order to help support a framework which can solve the violence against women. But Myanmar seven years later has still not approved the bill yet.
Daw Maw Maw San, a local from Waingmaw Township said: “It is not good if female MPs can do nothing for women in parliament, despite themselves being women and knowing the plights of women. Females are facing oppression even in our social environment. I would like to urge the female MPs to ensure the safety of all females.”
In the 2020 General Elections, the ratio of female candidates has increased by over four percent. The total number of female candidates in parliaments has reached 194.
In the 2015 General Elections, 151 female candidates secured the parliamentary seats, up over 40 candidates in the 2020 General Elections.
