Beliefs about the proper role of women and men in Burma
Is discrimination against women in Burma ingrained in traditional practices?
By Naw Cha Mu
Stereotypes and beliefs about women and
men are present in almost every com
munity and they are very powerful. Some examples of stereotypes about women from Burma are that a good woman is gentle, pretty, soft spoken and physically weak. They are not supposed to laugh out loud. If they do, they are considered to be a “loose” person. There are also stereotypes about men from Burma, they are said to be strong, smart, clever, and brave and never cry. These are called “gender stereotypes”.
Once a person is born, their family and community tries to fix them into their stereotype. If they do not fit into their stereotype box, they will be criticised and looked down upon by their community. This is especially true for women. If they do not fit into their boxes properly they may make their family angry and ashamed. Sometimes men commit violence against women in an effort to make them conform to their stereotypes box.
But what about men? What happens if they do not fit into their boxes? Everybody in Burma turn blind eyes to this question, even women themselves. If a man beats women does it means that they are brave, smart, and clever? Do men really fit into their stereotype boxes which are to be strong, brave, smart and clever?
If a man does not like the way his wife behaves, if she does not cook or clean well, does not like the way she cares for her children, or spends too much money, he will curse her and sometimes he will beat and abuse her. This means that some men oppress women through domestic violence. Domestic violence is not only physical abuse but also mental abuse. For example if a husband says to his wife that she is stupid, does not let her to go outside and talk to friends, makes her feel bad all the time, this is mental abuse. If you were in this woman’s situation where you were physically and mentally abuse, could you imagine how you would feel?
In addition, Burmese women, are suppose to obey their husband’s instructions, even if it is violence against them. Some women stick to their traditional roles and remain in their stereotype box. They just think about having babies, looking after the house and obeying their husbands. They have never though about being a leader in their community. Women who have been brought up to follow this behavior often lack confidence or courage to act differently or put forward own their views, even when they feel strongly about them.
It is difficult to discuss violence against women in Burma because women do not fully understand their rights, and whilst there are laws proctecting women, cultural pressures stop them from accessing these mechanisms. For this reason, even if their rights are violated by other people; they just keep silent and keep pain to themselves, and follow their culture practice rather than stand up for their rights.
Women often don’t want to report their domestic problem. They keep quiet to maintain their family’s dignity. They don’t want people to look down on their family. Sometimes they are afraid that if they divorce their husbands, the community will think that she is a prostitute or a bad woman. And that they will not be able to get married again and will have to financially support herselves. Traditionally in Burma women rely too much on their husband.
In Burma, there are many traditions that support the idea that it is acceptable for men to dominate the women. Even as children, girls and boys are treated differently in the family. In the family, while boys are sent to school, girls have to work in the house and they are sent to the field. Many parents believe that women don’t need to be educated in order to do housework, and that they are requiring only basic literacy skills. Additionally, after they get married their jobs will be to serve their husbands. In accordance to Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which Burma is a signatory, women and men should have equal opportunities to study.
In contrast to CEDAW statement, the system of education in Burma is unbalance because mostly men are selected to study abroad by the regime’s higher education institutions. Women consequently lack access to education, they are relegated to low paying, work in factories, farms, construction sites, such as domestic workers, restaurant workers, entertainers and sex workers. This places them in an extremely vulnerable position in country due to lack the of educations and less chance than men.
For example, a woman and a man work in farm, a man will get higher pay than women, even though they work for the same number of hours. Woman are paid only two thirds of the amount men earn per day in Burma. The reason given why women get lower pay is because women work slower and are not as strong like men. They don’t do the same quantity of work as men. CEDAW states that men and women should be viewed as equal and have the same salary. However the regime in Burma has not adopted an equal employment opportunity policy in the country. The employers in both government departments and private sectors have always set the first priority for hiring men. This discrimination of the women in the work place is deeply rooted in society.
Additionally, women in Burma have no representation at the national level. There are no women in the 39 members of cabinet. Women are not represented in the military regime. There are no women in the current decision making bodies of the military regime. The new constitution will continue excluding women. The political situation in Burma clearly shows that the military junta is an exclusively male structure. If you go and ask the regime “what is the role of the women in Burma?” The regime might not understand what you mean. They would then reply that women have to stay at home to take care of their households, their kids and their husbands.
This is not a fair answer. It seems that the women in Burma are the second class citizens in Burmese society. They are not allowed to be involved in important sectors in the communities. Only men can be involved in the important sectors because traditionally men have more power than women and they believe that it is the man’s roles to have power and their woman role’s to stay under control of men.
..the
regime’s use of rape as a weapon of war is common and
systemic.
Therefore, most of the women inside Burma live insecure lives, isolated from the male community, lonely and unprotect by the authorities. The majority of women in the communities can not rely on the junta’s protection, because it has never protected women who are violated by their soldiers whose abiity to act with impunity is deeply ingrained in Burmese culture. In the civil war zone, the regime use of rape as a weapon of war is common and systemic. Rape cases are rarely brought to court, because the court system routinely serves a strategic function and acts as a tool for achieving the military or political objectives of the regime, helping them to maintain their brutal power over the country.
Therefore it is essential for the women to fight for their right and change the ‘man’s domination of women’ system in Burma. Women need to get education or training to realise that they are powerful and have abilities to be involved in the civil sectors. Then they can be empowered to form their own judgments about what they need to be done. It is necessary to provide education programmes on gender issues to both men and women. Men have to share power, and give encouragement to women to participate at every sector in the society.
To read the other articles in the March 2008 Newsletter please click on the links below:
..the
regime’s use of rape as a weapon of war is common and
systemic.