UN Women: Listen to female voices in Myanmar

Against the backdrop of the recent military coup in Myanmar, the United Nations (UN) Women has expressed strong concern over the use of force by security forces against peaceful demonstrators including women.

The entity of the global body also called upon all stakeholders to listen to the voices of Myanmar women, according to a statement issued by the Myanmar chapter of UN Women on Thursday.  

On 9 February 2021, there were several reports from Nay Pyi Taw, Mandalay, and other cities in Myanmar of demonstrators having been injured by security forces in connection with the peaceful disobedience movement sweeping across the country, it said. 

The statement urged the military and police to refrain from using disproportionate force against demonstrators.

Over the past decade, the women and women civil society organizations of Myanmar have played an essential role in the transition process towards a prosperous and democratic society and have been central in advocating for peace and inclusive governance, it said. 

"Today, UN Women stands in solidarity with the women and women’s civil society organizations of Myanmar as they seek to exercise their fundamental right to demonstrate peacefully and express their hopes and desires for the future of their country," stated the statement.

"We urge all stakeholders in Myanmar and abroad to listen to the voices of the women of Myanmar," it said.

"We echo the words of the UN secretary general reaffirming the unwavering support of the UN to the people of Myanmar in their pursuit of democracy, peace, human rights, and the rule of law, and urging the military leadership to respect the will of the people of Myanmar and adhere to democratic norms, with any differences to be resolved through peaceful dialogue," it added.