By Sunita Kwangta, International Advocate for the Women Research Group, Karen Environmental and Social Action Network (KESAN)
Myanmar is home to beautiful forests, rivers, and wildlife, making it possible for the people to have their traditional way of life, food, and culture. These natural resources face increased threats due to illegal logging, mining, and large-scale development projects. Women environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs) are among those most committed to defending the environment in Myanmar, as they bravely protest the conservation issues that have arisen. Their practices not only help sustain natural ecosystems but also the rights of the communities, making sure the future generation affects the environment healthily and constructively.
In Myanmar’s rural and Indigenous areas, women have the central role of dealing with natural resources in their everyday work, such as picking wood, planting crops, and making medicine from plants- providing them with deep knowledge about nature, including its soil, vegetation, and animals. Women EHRDs in Myanmar are often the primary holders of traditional ecological knowledge, especially within Indigenous communities like the Karen, Chin, Kachin, and Shan. They serve as keepers of local wisdom and culture, ensuring that ecological practices and sustainability are passed down through generations. Community leaders, mothers, and teachers also understand the intrinsic connection between the environment and human well-being.
Women environmental defenders in Myanmar face numerous challenges, particularly since the military coup in February 2021. These challenges include threats to personal safety, psychological trauma, and systemic barriers exacerbated by political instability and resource exploitation. Here are several examples of challenges that have been faced by women environmental defenders in Myanmar and factors that put them at high risk:
- Limited Access to Legal Protection: The legal framework in Myanmar provides minimal protection for environmental defenders, especially for women, after the military coup. Corruption, weak rule of law, and the lack of gender-sensitive policies mean that women are often left to defend themselves against powerful actors even when violations occur. Justice is rarely served, further emboldening perpetrators.
- Disproportionate Effects: Indigenous women and women from marginalized communities face compounded challenges due to the intersection of race, ethnicity, and gender. As stewards of traditional ecological knowledge, these women are critical to biodiversity conservation, yet they are disproportionately affected by land grabs, forced evictions, and the impacts of climate change.
- Safety and Persecution: Women defending environmental and human rights are often targeted by military junta. Many have been arrested, forced into hiding, or even displaced to borderlands or forests for safety. For instance, checkpoints and surveillance by the military have made travel and community engagement dangerous, restricting their ability to carry out conservation activities or report violations like illegal logging and mining [1].
- Resources Exploitation: Since the coup, unchecked resource extraction activities, such as illegal logging, mining, and destroying mangrove forests, have escalated. Women defenders, particularly in Indigenous and rural communities, have lost the ability to engage companies or authorities to address these issues due to the fear of arrest or violence [2].
- Role in Humanitarian Responses: Despite the risks, women are critical in providing humanitarian aid, especially in conflict zones like the Karen and Kayah States. Local Organizations, such as the Karen Women’s Organization, work tirelessly to support displaced populations, often navigating dangerous conditions to ensure aid reaches remote communities. However, limited international support and military restrictions on aid make their work even more challenging [3].
International recognition of women’s role as environmental defenders in Myanmar has grown. Women EHRDs from Myanmar are increasingly featured in global forums; however, their participation is still limited. At international forums, they can share their experiences, seek solidarity, and call for action to protect their rights. These platforms offer much-needed visibility and amplify their voices, urging the international community to support their fight for justice, peace, and environmental protection. At UN biodiversity conferences or COPs, women EHRDs from Myanmar have shared their personal stories and advocacy efforts, which have helped shift global conversations around the importance of gender equality and Indigenous rights in environmental decision-making. These women’s stories are a reminder of the critical link between gender, environmental justice, and human rights. However, the situation remains precarious. The military junta continues to oppress political dissent, and many women activists face threats to their lives.
International support is crucial, but it must be more than symbolic. It must be in the form of real, tangible action—both in advocating for the rights of women defenders and in applying pressure on the Myanmar military government to stop the human rights abuses and environmental destruction.
The path of a woman environmental defender in Myanmar is fraught with danger. As Myanmar has been embroiled in armed conflict and political turmoil for decades, environmental defenders are frequently targeted by both state and non-state actors. The military government has been known to suppress dissent, and women who speak out for the environment and human rights often face harassment, intimidation, and violence. Many of the women who speak out for the environment are often subject to legal threats, arbitrary detention, and violence. In some cases, they face gender-based violence, including sexual violence, as a tool to silence them and intimidate their communities. The militarization of natural resources, such as land grabs and forced displacement, further exacerbates their vulnerabilities. For instance, the military’s presence in conflict zones and resource-rich areas often involves the destruction of natural habitats and violations of both environmental and human rights. Despite the many challenges, women EHRDs in Myanmar continue to resist these injustices. Through grassroots activism, advocacy, and mobilization, they have raised global awareness about the intersection of human rights and environmental justice. One such example is the work done by women in the Salween Peace Park, an Indigenous-managed area on the Myanmar-Thailand border. Women from the Karen community have been at the forefront of this project, combining traditional knowledge with modern conservation science to protect the region’s biodiversity. Their work includes documenting plant species, tracking wildlife, and creating sustainable land-use practices rooted in the community’s understanding of nature. This project not only safeguards the environment but also promotes a form of governance that honours both women’s leadership and the knowledge of Indigenous peoples. Additionally, women EHRDs in Myanmar have been instrumental in opposing large-scale dam projects, which have been notorious for displacing local populations and harming the environment. For example, the Myitsone Dam in Kachin State, which local communities and environmental activists have opposed, was seen as a threat to both the people and the environment in the region. Women in these communities have been vocal about the dam’s impact on their livelihoods, the local ecosystem, and their rights to land and resources.
Women environmental human rights defenders in Myanmar embody resilience, courage, and a commitment to both environmental protection and human rights. Despite facing many obstacles, they continue to stand as pillars of strength within their communities, advocating for peace, justice, and the preservation of nature.
Their work is vital to the health and well-being of their communities and the global fight for climate justice and sustainability. As the world turns its attention to pressing environmental issues and the need for a more inclusive and equitable approach to conservation, the voices of women EHRDs from Myanmar and other conflict zones must be heard, supported, and respected. They represent not just a defence of the environment but a broader call for justice, equality, and the recognition of women’s integral roles in shaping a sustainable and peaceful future.
Sources
[3]: https://thediplomat.com/2021/06/women-are-key-to-the-humanitarian-response-in-myanmar/
About the author
Sunita Kwangta is a young woman from the S’Gaw Karen community that live in the border of Myanmar and Thailand. She graduated from International College, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University with a Bachelor’s Degree. Currently, she is working as an International Advocate for Women’s Research for Karen Environmental and Social Action Network (KESAN) in Thailand.
