A Gendered Overview of the Human Rights Situation in Southeastern Burma

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Situation Overview for Women in Burma: April – June 2026

Since the attempted coup on 1 February 2021, there has been a staggering decline in their fundamental rights and freedoms, leading to a widening gap in protection and safety. The military junta has continued to use sexual violence as a tool of terror, including rape as a weapon of war. The absence of the rule of law has effectively made pathways for justice and accountability for military-related crimes virtually nonexistent. In addition, long-standing challenges remain for survivors, including social stigmas which often ostracize victims from their communities as well as a shortage in access to Safe Houses and trauma-informed support, notably in the wake of the moost recent funding cuts. Worryingly, last year was the deadliest for women and children in Burma since the coup, with over 3,220 civilian deaths, including 294 children and 800 women.

As the displacement crisis caused by the junta’s war expands, the temporary camps are small and ill-equipped to provide families with the privacy they need in close quarters. With men in the majority in camp leadership, gendered needs are often overlooked. The lack of consultation with women’s voices remains an ongoing challenge, as long-established rights groups have repeatedly called for greater inclusion of all voices. Women’s perspectives are critical to ensuring that Burma’s future is shaped by gender-informed policies.

During the reporting period of April to June 2026, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) monitored the ongoing challenges being faced by women and girls. There were several cases documented in our targeted areas of Mon State, Karen State and the Tanintharyi Region, where least 31 women were killed, 43 were injured, and 23 were arbitrarily arrested. Additionally, 15 children were killed, and 28 were wounded. Since the coup in 2021, HURFOM has recorded a total of 308 women killed and 674 wounded, as well as 118 children killed and 236 injured across all documentation areas. There have also been over 352 women arbitrarily arrested.

Included in the cases were an airstrike where two women died and several other civilians, including a child, were injured after the junta carried out an attack in the Maka Tar area near Three Pagodas Pass, Kyainnseikyi Township, Dooplaya District, Karen State.2 Airstrikes have repeatedly targeted the most vulnerable in the conflict, notably women and children.

The lack of safe places for them to flee has made the situation on the ground increasingly distressing, with nearly 4 million of those displaced being women in the camps. Women face numerous threats to their safety and well-being, particularly as military junta soldiers commit acts of violence against those fleeing conflict or those in their custody.

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