Gender Equality Network (GEN) - International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)

Country - Myanmar

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GEN - International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)

About the Organization

Established in 2008, the Gender Equality Network (GEN) is an organization that mobilizes its 130 members to pursue a vision where gender equality and human rights are respected, protected, and fulfilled at all levels of society in Myanmar.

GEN’s work focuses specifically on dialogue facilitation, research, and advocacy to promote better policy and legislation for women and girls and to promote women’s participation in peace and security processes.

ICAN’s Innovative Peace Fund has supported GEN since 2018, including in its advocacy to pass a law preventing violence against women and raise awareness through a film festival.

Core Areas of Work:

CRSV and GBV
Peacemaking

We might have left the country physically, but our minds, hearts, and soul survive for the liberation of Myanmar, from this authoritarianism and tyranny of the regime.

– May Sabe Phyu Director, Gender Equality Network, Myanmar

Stories & Features

The Odd Couple: Women Peacebuilders and Security Actors Bridging Positions, Building Trust

Trust between communities and the security sector is critical for effective governance and peace. So is a vibrant civil society. When women peacebuilders are recognized and engaged as independent, strategic partners and security actors—in their own right—the results are transformative. Twenty-five years on from the launch of the WPS agenda, women peacebuilders’ creativity and contributions to societal peace and security are not only timely, they are even more essential.

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Read Post The Odd Couple: Women Peacebuilders and Security Actors Bridging Positions, Building Trust

From Crisis to Action: Strengthening Women’s Leadership in Myanmar

Since gaining independence in 1948, Myanmar has been shaped by relentless conflict, political upheaval, and deep-seated resistance. Ethnic divisions, decades of military rule, and systemic gender inequality have compounded the struggles faced by women across the country. Yet, despite oppression and violence, Myanmar’s women have consistently led movements for justice and change, standing at the forefront of resistance.

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Read Post From Crisis to Action: Strengthening Women’s Leadership in Myanmar

Bridging Positions, Building Trust:  Women Peacebuilders & Security Actors

ICAN, in partnership with the Permanent Missions of Norway, Sweden, and Canada, the United Kingdom Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (UKFCDO), the Ministry of Gender, Child and Welfare of South Sudan, the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), and the National Transformational Leadership Institute (NTLI), convened a 1.5-day workshop to discuss how to strengthen community security as a localized, transformative approach for sustainable peace.

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Read Post Bridging Positions, Building Trust:  Women Peacebuilders & Security Actors

“We are not afraid, we are resisting”: A strong message from the Director of Myanmar’s Gender Equality Network

At 8pm every evening since February 1, 2021 hundreds of thousands across Myanmar bang pots and pans to demonstrate their non-violent resistance to the military coup. This symbolic act is part of the Red Ribbon campaign, a nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement. The movement’s message is clear, explains May Sabe Phyu, Director of the Gender Equality Network (GEN) and a member of WASL: “We are not afraid; we are resisting the coup.”

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Read Post “We are not afraid, we are resisting”: A strong message from the Director of Myanmar’s Gender Equality Network

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