Women unite in peace efforts

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mingalaba.

First of all, I would like to extend my greetings and best wishes for peace of mind, good health, and all kinds of auspicious blessings to all the distinguished guests attending today’s ceremony in honour of the 2025 Myanmar Women’s Day.

Today’s Myanmar Women’s Day is a special and significant day for all Myanmar women living across the country. It is a day to honour outstanding women who are actively contributing to various important sectors of the nation. At the same time, it is also an occasion organized to inspire and empower women from all walks of life. Therefore, I would like to express my heartfelt tribute to all Myanmar women.

Myanmar women are compassionate, resilient, and capable individuals. They have made strong and active contributions not only to fields such as politics, economics, social affairs, education, craftsmanship, and the arts, but also alongside men in national defence, security, and administration. Their dedication to the nation’s development is evident. Today, it is also increasingly apparent that Myanmar women are participating in decision-making roles across various sectors, reflecting their growing leadership and influence.

At a time when the State Administration Council has assumed responsibilities of the State unavoidably, many patriotic and dedicated women have stepped forward to serve bravely in various sectors such as national defence, security, education, health, and administration. Likewise, they have also made remarkable and commendable contributions to the realms of religion, literature, and fine arts. Therefore, as part of honouring Myanmar Women’s Day, the State proudly recognizes these outstanding women by conferring honorary titles and awards in appreciation of their exceptional service.

International Women’s Day, which fell on 8 March, was celebrated around the world — including in Myanmar under the theme “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress Towards Equality”. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. In alignment with this milestone, efforts have been encouraged globally to further enhance the capacity of women and girls across all sectors and ensure they have greater access to opportunities.

In implementing these initiatives, actions are being carried out in alignment with the 12 key areas of the National Strategic Plan for the Advancement of Women. These efforts are also being implemented under the provisions of the 2008 Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.

Myanmar is actively participating in international commitments aimed at promoting the advancement of women and ensuring gender equality. The country is implementing actions based on the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which includes 12 critical areas of concern and was adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China, in 1995. Myanmar is also working in line with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), adopted by the United Nations in 1979, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the UN in 2015.

In addition, Myanmar is actively taking part in initiatives of the ASEAN region, including programmes for the prevention of violence against women, the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, the Gender Mainstreaming Strategic Framework, and action plans promoting women’s political participation and leadership. Similarly, Myanmar is also engaged in implementing gender-related strategic plans in collaboration with Mekong region countries, aiming to promote and enhance the rights of women.

In advancing the role of women, individual capacity is important, but it is equally essential to ensure that more women can participate in decision-making positions. According to the 2024 Myanmar Statistical Yearbook, as of the end of March 2024, women made up 60.14 per cent of the civil service workforce. Among those in decision-making positions, women accounted for 53.63 per cent of officials at the level of deputy director and above.

According to the 2024 Myanmar Statistical Yearbook, based on birth and death records in the health sector, the average life expectancy in 2022 was about 63 years for men and about 72 years for women, indicating that women live longer than men. Moreover, the rates of infant mortality (under one year), under-five child mortality, and overall birth rates have been declining year by year. This shows that women’s health awareness and healthcare have been improving.

The foundation of a nation’s development lies in the abundance of educated and skilled people. Therefore, it is essential to increase the number of knowledgeable and skilled human resources. The government is committed to promoting higher education levels and well-rounded development for all citizens. We are also actively working to enhance modern education and technology training to empower our youth, who are the future leaders, and striving to improve literacy rates and education completion levels.

According to the 2024 ASEAN Regional Gender Review Report, jointly conducted by the ASEAN Secretariat and UN Women, women’s political participation in ASEAN countries stands at 22 per cent. Annually, nine per cent of women experience violence from intimate partners. Women also spend more than twice the amount of time men do on unpaid care and household work. Regarding access to technology, 69 per cent of men own mobile phones compared to only 63 per cent of women. There is also a noted gender disparity in land ownership. In Myanmar, the adolescent birth rate is only 0.2 per cent, the lowest among ASEAN countries, indicating progress in reproductive health awareness and education.

According to research surveys, Myanmar is working through national, operational, and regional women’s committees to enhance the capacities and development of women and girls across various sectors. The government urges all relevant ministries and organizations involved in the National Strategic Plan for the Advancement of Women (2023-2032), including the steering committee and the 12 working committees, to increase their efforts and collaboration in implementing this plan effectively.

Furthermore, when carrying out reconstruction efforts in disaster-affected areas, it is requested that gender-sensitive plans be implemented. Everyone is encouraged to come together to support all women, both in rural and urban areas, to regain livelihoods and improve their economic capacities through sustainable income-generating activities.

In conclusion, for the success of peace processes and the establishment of a Union based on federalism and a democratic system, the entire women’s community must work together hand in hand with all men in unity and cooperation. Therefore, I urge all citizens, including women, to come together in greater solidarity and active participation than ever before for the development and future of the nation.

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