Written by Nat Shaun May
Border News Agency
Kyauktaw, June 26.
In the Arakan region, women, including female war-displaced individuals, are facing numerous hardships and struggling to overcome them.
These displaced women say they are having to deal with challenges related to food, shelter, healthcare, and both physical and mental safety.
In Arakan, there are over 550,000 internally displaced people (IDPs), and nearly 360,000 of them are women. This means that around 57 percent of the displaced population are women.
These displaced women say that the struggle for basic needs such as food, shelter, and survival has become even more difficult during the monsoon season, making it harder for them to cope.
“When the monsoon season arrives, it becomes much harder for us. We used to go into the forests and mountains to collect firewood and sell it for our survival, especially during the dry season. But now that it’s the rainy season, we can’t even go into the forests. It’s too dangerous. We’re facing many difficulties just to meet our basic needs,” said one displaced woman.
These displaced women say they are using unsafe drinking water and lack adequate healthcare services, which has created many challenges for them.
As a result, they are facing numerous hardships and challenges in trying to get through the monsoon season, according to the displaced women.
“There are so many difficulties in getting through this monsoon season. We’re struggling just to meet our basic needs like food and shelter. We can’t do anything because we have no money. Fixing the house isn’t even an option, we’re barely managing to find enough to eat and drink. Life is really hard for us. Our roof is leaking, and we’ve had to patch it up with plastic sheets and sacks,” said a displaced woman from Ponnakyun Township.
Due to airstrikes and heavy artillery attacks by the Myanmar junta in the Arakan region, civilians including young women, children, pregnant mothers, and the elderly have been forced to flee their homes.
These civilians are now sheltering in displacement camps, religious buildings, and schools. Displaced women say that, because of the overcrowding, they face many difficulties, especially when it comes to access to toilets, bathing facilities, and proper living conditions.
“Living in schools or monasteries doesn’t feel as safe as being in our own home. Even things like bathing don’t feel secure. We’re constantly feeling a sense of insecurity,” said one displaced woman.
In the final phase of the war in Arakan, the Arakan Army has taken full control of towns including Paletwa, Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Rathedaung, Pauktaw, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbra, Myaybon, Ponnakyun, Rambre, Thandwe, Taunggoke, Gwa, and Ann.
Although administrative mechanisms are being implemented in those townships under the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government, displaced women say that effective support for IDPs is still lacking. As a result, there is an urgent need for international humanitarian assistance.
“We’ve been living in the displacement camp for a long time now. We are unemployed and struggling to meet our basic needs. With the arrival of the monsoon season, we’re suffering even more, the shelters are not properly covered from the rain and wind, and everything is wet and uncomfortable. Our main difficulty is survival such as food, shelter, and clothing. On top of that, prices have gone up, and the little money we had is already spent on food. Now, we’ve run out of the supplies we brought with us, and some of us have even had to go to villages to beg,” said one displaced woman.
Only the towns of Sittwe, Kyaukphru, and Man Aung remain outside the full control of the Arakan Army, with intense fighting ongoing between the Arakan Army and the Myanmar junta forces in Kyaukphru.
The junta has violated the fundamental human rights and citizenship rights of the Arakan people, including displaced persons, by restricting their freedom of movement, according to the Arakan community.
Although there are legal protections in Myanmar for pregnant women and mothers, displaced women say they are left without support or protection.
According to Chapter 8, Article 351 of the 2008 Constitution, “Mothers, children, and pregnant women shall enjoy equal rights as prescribed by law.”
However, displaced women in the final phase of the war in Arakan say they are struggling to survive without assistance, with their lives and livelihoods under serious threat.
On October 31, 2000, United Nations member states adopted a landmark resolution emphasizing the importance of women’s peace and security in conflict-affected areas.
That resolution, known as UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325), highlights key pillars such as the participation of women, protection of women and children, prevention of conflict, and relief and recovery efforts. As a UN member state, Myanmar is also obligated to implement and uphold the commitments outlined in this resolution.
Therefore, women’s rights activists say that the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government should also enact laws, establish policies, and implement concrete measures to ensure the protection and support of women.
“ULA/AA has already laid out some policies, and they need to implement them. In some armed groups, there are extensive gender policies and women’s affairs frameworks being developed and that needs to happen here as well. Additionally, it’s important to respect and adhere to international laws that protect women during times of war,” a women’s rights advocate told Border News Agency.
However, displaced women say the Myanmar junta not only fails to provide protection and support to displaced people, but also deliberately targets and attacks them.
Although administrative mechanisms are functioning in areas controlled by the Arakan Army, displaced women say there are still unmet needs in terms of humanitarian assistance.
As a result, many displaced women, putting aside their dignity and shame, are now going from place to place seeking food and support just to survive.
“The number of displaced people has increased so much that we no longer receive any support. We’ve only gotten assistance twice, and even then, it wasn’t enough. Now we have to find food on our own. We rely on donations to survive. Sometimes we get help, sometimes we don’t. What we really need is support for our parents. For myself, I can get by with donations. But I can’t afford to pay for my father and mother’s medical expenses, and we can’t get donations for that either,” said one displaced woman.
Displaced women say that, because there is no international humanitarian aid reaching areas under the control of the Arakan Army, their struggle to survive has become even more difficult.
They also report that with internet and phone communications cut off, it is nearly impossible for them to access support or assistance.
As a result, civil society organizations are calling for the creation of job opportunities for displaced people, including women, to ensure a source of regular income. They also urge the international community to support the implementation of livelihood training programs to help them rebuild their lives.
“The Kofi Annan Commission recommended that livelihood training programs should be provided, income-generating activities should be created within displacement camps, and job opportunities should also be arranged outside the camps. Employment opportunities must be improved for all displaced people both men and women. With such measures in place, refugees will become less dependent on international aid,” the commission advised.
Part 1 of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) states that “the basic rights and entitlements of the elderly, persons with disabilities, women, and children must be effectively protected and promoted, without discrimination based on race, religion, or socioeconomic status, and efforts must be made to uplift their social well-being.”
However, in the Arakan war, children, women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly are facing extreme conditions just to survive, according to the local population.
Among them, women are reportedly left without protection or support, bearing the brunt of armed conflict and suffering some of its most severe consequences, displaced women say.
“We had to live in the water. We couldn’t stay in our own home—we had to take shelter in the paddy fields. Whenever we heard the sound of aircraft, we didn’t dare sleep inside the house; we had to sleep outside. We couldn’t even eat the rice we had cooked. We slept here and there, wherever we could. We endured all that. But in the end, we couldn’t take it anymore and had to flee,” said one displaced woman.
In Myanmar’s conflict-affected areas, the safety and survival of women are closely linked to the country’s peace process. Armed groups that have signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) also bear responsibility for these issues.
Displaced women living in areas controlled by the Arakan Army say they face shortages of women’s monthly hygiene supplies, lack access to healthcare for pregnant women, and are often unable to receive necessary vaccinations.
Article 3 of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement states that “all citizens of the Union shall enjoy equal rights and opportunities without discrimination based on race, religion, culture, or gender.”
Despite the conflicts in the Arakan region, women are experiencing anxiety and mental health issues, yet mental health services remain severely limited, according to displaced women.
In addition, displaced pregnant mothers and breastfeeding women urgently need adequate nutrition and healthcare, displaced women say.
“There are many difficulties. Jobs are hard to find, but when there’s no work, we manage somehow to get by. Pregnant mothers need proper nutrition for themselves and their babies, but we can’t always afford it. We can’t get vaccinations either because we don’t have the money to pay for them. I want pregnant women to receive proper healthcare,” said a pregnant woman living in an area controlled by the Arakan Army.
Due to frequent airstrikes by the Myanmar junta targeting schools in the Arakan region, displaced women have lost access to education, according to local residents.
Meanwhile, in areas controlled by the Arakan Army, administrative mechanisms are being carried out under the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government. The local population says they are also working on reconstruction efforts, including ensuring the safety and security of the people.
However, women including displaced women still do not have full safety and security. Women’s rights activists say it is necessary to provide comprehensive protection for women and to carefully draft and implement laws specifically safeguarding their rights.
“People close to us say that we don’t have security. Even within women’s groups, rumors and fears are spreading. We are losing our sense of safety. It’s crucial that when laws are being drafted, strong protections for women are clearly included. Once such laws exist, we also want to see the development of women-specific legislation. However, the public currently knows nothing about this. For people to be aware, there must be transparency and openness from whichever government is in power that’s a vital need,” said Daw Nyo Aye, Chairperson of the Rakhine Women’s Network, to Border News Agency.
In some areas controlled by the Arakan Army, women including underage girls have reportedly been subjected to cruel and abusive treatment, leaving displaced women feeling unsafe and unprotected, according to the Arakan community.
Despite the lack of safety and support, displaced women say they are facing and overcoming numerous challenges under the administration of the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government.
Although the monsoon season in the Arakan region is harsh and severe, with storms, strong winds, and extreme weather conditions, displaced women say they are bravely facing these challenges including threats to their health, safety, and mental well-being and doing their best to get through the monsoon season.
