The Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma Releases New Briefing Paper, The Enlistment of Women: Gendered Impacts of Forced Conscription by the Military Junta

Today, the Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma (ND-Burma) releases a new briefing paper titled, The Enlistment of Women: Gendered Impacts of Forced Conscription by the Military Junta. ND-Burma is alarmed by the regime’s actions to not only illegally and violently force young men to join the military but also to engage in recent activities that include the forced enlistment of women. Our latest research finds that women face immense risks in junta custody, and the dangerous attempts to make them fight on the battlefield present additional risks that undermine their safety and security.

Despite the Burmese military claiming that women would not be enlisted following the enactment of the People’s Military Service Law, registration for women between the ages of 18 and 27 began at the start of the year, prompting fears and uncertainty. The junta’s forced conscription is seen as the latest attempt to distract from their losses on the battlefield and the many soldiers who have defected from their ranks and battalions.

ND-Burma members are concerned about the safety and security of young women and girls. The gendered impacts of forced conscription have been catastrophic across various communities in Burma, where mothers, daughters, sisters and even pregnant women have been separated from their families to be enlisted. In Southeastern Burma, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) reported that women forced to serve under the junta have begun training in Kyaikto township, Mawlamyine. In the Mon State Revolutionary Force (MSRF), hundreds of women fled to liberation areas after the announcement of the fifth batch of recruitment.

Among the many human rights violations women face if forcibly conscripted include human trafficking, displacement, sexual exploitation, trauma and distress, sexual violence and others.

Additional insights from our members, notably women-led organizations such as the Kachin Women’s Association Thailand, the Ta’ang Women’s Organization, and the Tavoyan Women’s Union, were contextualized through their documentation of crimes against women and young girls. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence collected by women-led civil society organizations, which makes clear that misogyny and violent behaviour are tolerated and excused by the military junta.

Moreover, it is abundantly clear that the forced conscription effort must be met with intervention by the international community to ensure that no lives are lost or harm is inflicted upon the men and women compelled to fight in a war brutally imposed by the Burmese Army.

Women have asserted that the future of Burma must include gender equality. These goals must be achieved simultaneously to ensure that all people, regardless of gender, are granted the same protections, freedoms, and fundamental rights. Women human rights defenders continue to advocate for gender equality and reliable justice pathways for victims of violence in Burma. They must be heard, and their calls must be transformed into policies and laws to protect all women.

For more information:

Nai Aue Mon
Signal: +66 86 1679 741

San Htoi
Signal: +66 64 9369 070

Download the paper