Lead researcher: Dr Henri Myrttinen
Partner: Henri Myrttinen
Duration: December 2023 – March 2025
Countries: Myanmar, Thailand, India
Nearly 70 years of conflict has had a devastating toll on women in Myanmar. In a country where much of the violence splinters along ethnic lines, women from minority ethnic groups face specific threats linked to both gender and ethnicity. This research project examines how diverse women have been affected by conflict and cross-border displacement from Myanmar in different waves, both before and since the 2021 military coup. It looks at the needs and vulnerabilities of different groups of women, such as the military’s use of rape and other sexual violence to terrorise civilian women in Rakhine state since 2011. The project also examines the possibilities and spaces for agency that diverse women have been able to use or create, and how best to support these without placing women at risk.
The research will employ a qualitative approach, comprising background interviews with experts, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions (FGDs). These FGDs will involve elders, younger women, individuals with diverse SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and Sex Characteristics), as well as women with disabilities from the three aforementioned communities. Additionally, key informants, including service providers and representatives from women’s rights organizations, will be interviewed. The researchers will also engage in participatory observation at the field research sites.
This project is one of several focused on women and girls in cross-border conflict contexts. The main output will be a research manuscript for submission for publication in a peer-reviewed journal or as an XCEPT research report.
For more information regarding this research, contact [email protected]