Women's history ( legal rights ) Animal advocacy Business Female entrepreneurs Gender representation on corporate boards of directors Female entrepreneurs Gender representation on corporate boards of directors Diversity (politics) Diversity, equity, and inclusion Economic development Explorers and travelers Government Conservatives in the US Heads of state or government Legislators Queen regnant List Conservatives in the US Heads of state or government Queen regnant List Law enforcement Nobel Prize laureates Positions of power Reproductive rights Sex segregation Feminist In Islam Vegetarianism and veganism advocacy Venture capital Violence and abuse Exchange of women Medicine dentistry in the United States dentistry in the United States in the United States Science, technology, engineering and mathematics Art history field Women's cinema Film "Chick flicks" Literature Science fiction Science fiction Philosophy Feminist philosophy Feminist philosophy Music Jazz Punk rock In Shakespeare's works Theological figures Christianity Catholicism Mormonism Opus Dei Islam Imams Mahr Segregation Women's testimony Women's testimony Comics Portrayal in American comics Portrayal in American comics Fictional pirates Speculative fiction Video games Gender representation in video games Women in the video game industry Gender representation in video games Women in the video game industry Fastpitch softball Football / soccer Mixed martial arts Paralympic Games Track and field Cyprus ( North ) Dominican Republic France ( French Guiana ) Marshall Islands Trinidad and Tobago United Arab Emirates Historically, women in Myanmar (also known as Burma ) have had a unique social status and esteemed women in Burmese society . According to the research done by Mya Sein , Burmese women "for centuries – even before recorded history " owned a "high measure of independence" and had retained their "legal and economic rights" despite the influences of Buddhism . Burma once had a matriarchal system that includes the exclusive right to inherit oil wells and the right to inherit the position as village head . Burmese women were also appointed to high offices by Burmese kings , can become chieftainesses and queens . [ 3 ] [ 4 ] In modern times, patriarchy dominates Burmese society. [ 5 ] [ 6 ] Political instability and stratocracy have caused violence and imprisonment to affect women disproportionately. [ 7 ] Traditional dress & protest The htamein ( ထဘီ [ tʰəmèɪɰ̃ ] ) is one of the traditional dresses of Burmese women. [ 3 ] [ 8 ] This skirtcloth or lower body wrapper was worn by women during the Konbaung dynasty (1752–1855) as a wrap-around skirt, or sometimes as a folded clothing material placed "tightly across the abdomen slightly left center of the waist". [ 8 ] In comparison, Burmese men wore the traditional lower garment known as the pahso ( ပုဆိုး [ pəsʰó ] ). [ 8 ] Superstitions have been tied to Myanmar women and their menstrual materials being directly linked to completely diminish the strength of their strength [spiritual energy] that troops had during battles. While in enemy territory, Myanmar women went against this superstition and were "threatened by tear gas and bullets [ 9 ] " while actively placing used menstrual material in the protesting streets. Pro-democracy activist and feminist Ying Lao has called out the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar for its exlusion of women and male-dominance. She criticized all-male pro-democracy panels , referring to them as "manels". [ 6 ] Marriages were previously allowed between Burmese women and male foreigners, provided that the divisional courts in Burma were informed within 21 days of advance notice. However, in May 2010, the government of Burma disallowed the conduct of marriage ceremonies between Burmese women and male foreigners. [ 10 ] One of the suggested reasons was to avoid human trafficking . [ 10 ] Burmese women became victims of human traffickers and were traded for the sex industry in Pakistan and Thailand. [ 11 ] To some extent, arranged marriages were also a part of Burmese tradition; however, the Burmese women have the right to refuse the offer of being betrothed to the parents' chosen partner for her. At present, young Burmese women can choose to marry someone for love. [ 10 ] In 2000, the Asian Women's Resource Exchange (AWORC) published a report entitled Human Rights in Burma from the Forum News (August 1998) describing that by tradition, Burmese women are maternal self-abnegators, meaning that these women "consistently forgo their own needs in order to give their children first priority." The report also indicated that rural and urban Burmese women were affected by the deteriorating economic climate in Burma. [ 12 ] As a result of British colonialism displacing the country, Burmese families were "increasingly prioritising the rights of men over women to limited resources." These changes affected the access of Burmese women to nutrition, medical services, vocational training, and other educational opportunities. Burmese women became unwilling porters and unpaid labourers for the military, including becoming victims of slavery , murder , torture , rape , and attacks. [ 12 ] Historically, urban Burmese women "enjoyed high levels of social power" but later became confronted with restrictions on speech and limitations in acquiring high-level positions in both private and public offices. [ 12 ] According to AWORC, only a small number of Burmese women receive education related to reproductive rights and safe birth control practices, thus making them prone to being infected by HIV and AIDS. [ 12 ] The women's rights movement in Burma started with the Burmese Women's Association in 1919. In Wa State, the Wa Women's Association coordinates philanthropic activities, cares for orphans and promotes cultural heritage. [ 13 ] [ 14 ] Myanmar Armed Forces In 2014, The Irrawaddy published a newsletter entitled For First Time in 50 Years, Burma's Military Welcomes Women Officers describing that Women Military Cadets existing from Burma's Defense Service Academy. The Commander-in-chief , Senior General Min Aung Hlaing , attended this ceremony with the conclusive thought that Burma governmental agencies hold "renewed vigor" because of the graduating class. [ 15 ] Gaining their independence from the British in 1948, [ 16 ] women were allowed to join the military around this interval; however, limits were still placed on the positions they could equip and trainings they could participate in which had their own strict requirements also. Myanmar women were physically blockaded from joining "armed forces under the military regimes that controlled Burma from 1962 until 2011 ". [ 15 ] In 2025, under rule of the military junta , the UN identified significant evidence of “systematic commission of sexual and gender-based crimes” in Myanmar. A 2026 report published by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said women had been subjected to or witnessed physical torture and sexual abuse , including strip-searches and “sexual humiliation and coercion based on information gathered through CCTV cameras ”. [ 7 ] Claribel Irene Po Supayalat , last queen of Burma Women's League of Burma Myanmar Women's Affairs Federation Women's Auxiliary Service (Burma) Myanmar women's national football team Shan Women's Action Network ↑ "Human Development Report 2021/2022" (PDF) . HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORTS . Retrieved 21 December 2022 . ↑ "Global Gender Gap Report 2022" (PDF) . World Economic Forum . Retrieved 27 February 2023 . 1 2 Daw Mya Sein. "Women in Burma" , The Atlantic, Atlantic Magazine, February 1958. ↑ Barr, James (16 June 2023). "A Comprehensive History of Women's Suffrage in Myanmar (Formerly Burma) - WeChronicle" . wechronicle.com . Archived from the original on 18 March 2025 . Retrieved 18 March 2025 . ↑ Julie Lun (14 May 2014). "Transforming Women's Lives In Myanmar" . JASS. Myanmar is a country where "patriarchy" (or, plainly speaking, a system where men are treated better than women) is very dominant. 1 2 Hölzl, Verona (7 October 2024). "Fighting Myanmar's Patriarchy, One All-Male Panel at a Time" . Chiang Mai, Thailand: The New York Times . 1 2 Howlett, Alex (11 June 2026). "Tortured, humiliated and killed: the women who disappear into Myanmar's prisons" . The Guardian . 1 2 3 Falconer, John and Luca Invernizzi Tettoni. Burmese Design and Architecture , Tuttle Publishing, page 189. ↑ Htun, Pwint; Bock, Paula (16 March 2021). "Contributor: How women are defying Myanmar's junta with sarongs and cellphones" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 17 March 2025 . 1 2 3 Thae Thae. Burmese Women Not Allowed to Marry Foreigners , The Irrawaddy, 25 May 2010. ↑ Trafficking Archived 1 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine , Burma/Myanmar, Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women 1 2 3 4 Human Rights in Burma , Asian Women's Resource Exchange (AWORC), 2000 ↑ Steinmüller, Hans (2021). "Para-nationalism: Sovereignty and authenticity in the Wa State of Myanmar" . Nations and Nationalism . 27 (3): 880– 894. doi : 10.1111/nana.12709 . ISSN 1354-5078 . ↑ Ong, Andrew; Steinmüller, Hans (2021). "Communities of care: Public donations, development assistance, and independent philanthropy in the Wa State of Myanmar" . Critique of Anthropology . 41 (1): 65– 87. doi : 10.1177/0308275X20974099 . ISSN 0308-275X . 1 2 Irrawaddy, The (29 August 2014). "For First Time in 50 Years, Burma's Military Welcomes Women Officers" . The Irrawaddy . Retrieved 17 March 2025 . ↑ "8. British Burma (1920-1948)" . uca.edu . Retrieved 17 March 2025 . Women's League of Burma Karen Women Organization The war on Burma's women Waithali kingdom Pyu city-states Launggyet dynasty Myinsaing kingdom Sagaing kingdom Hanthawaddy kingdom Kingdom of Mrauk U Toungoo dynasty First Toungoo Empire First Toungoo Empire Restored Hanthawaddy kingdom Konbaung dynasty Japanese occupation Revolutionary Council Socialist Republic Tatmadaw Government (1988–2011) 2011–2015 political reforms 2021 coup Protests Civil war State Administration Council State Administration Council Protected areas Administrative divisions Foreign relations Human rights LGBT Women's rights Law enforcement Military Stratocracy Commander-in-chief Commander-in-chief Political parties President Heads of state Prime Minister Heads of government Heads of government State Security and Peace Commission Opium production Telecommunications Myanmar kyat (currency)

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