United States Celebrates Women’s Contributions to Peace in Myanmar

YANGON – On March 6, U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar Scot Marciel and USAID Mission Director Teresa McGhie hosted an event celebrating women’s contributions to peace in Myanmar through the presentation of the “Women Contributing to Peace” mapping project. Civil society organizations, peace process stakeholders, political leaders, members of the donor community, and journalists attended the event at Melia Hotel.

Studies show that women’s meaningful participation in peace processes considerably increases the likelihood that a peace agreement will lead to sustainable peace. The maps include more than 380 organizations, show expertise held by women, and provide actionable steps to further the inclusion of women in peace-related activities. Ambassador Marciel urged peace stakeholders to use the information in the maps to bring women into discussions of peace and to strengthen Myanmar’s peace efforts. “The United States is committed to supporting peace efforts in Myanmar. So many people in Myanmar have worked for so long, and sacrificed so much, for greater peace. I hope that the information in these maps helps include more people in formal and informal discussions, and contributes to the peace that we all hope to see,” he said.

The project, developed by USAID’s Kann Let program, in partnership with Nonviolent Peaceforce, identified more than 670 women working on peace across all 14 States and Regions. According to USAID Mission Director Teresa McGhie, “these maps support more than just women’s inclusion in the peace process. They are a tool to promote women’s inclusion in all aspects furthering economic and democratic reforms.”

The event featured a panel discussion about next steps on peace and security issues. Technical experts representing the Salween Institute for Public Policy, the Ethnic Nationalities Affairs Center (ENAC), the Alliance for Gender Inclusion in the Peace Process (AGIPP), and the Myanmar Institute for Gender Studies (MIGS) provided policy recommendations across the five themes of the UPC. Dr. Su Mon Thazin Aung from the Institute for Policy and Strategy-Myanmar moderated the discussion.

Electronic copies of the maps, along with additional information about women contributing to peace in Myanmar, are available online at https://ispmyanmarpeacedesk.com.