Karenni women’s resistance to the impact of militarized patriarchy

Abstract

Arguably, in one of the most intensely conflicted areas in Burma (Myanmar), Karenni-based ethnic revolution organizations (EROs) have continued to fight against the military repression and state co-optation into becoming their own “Union's pawn” in the government propaganda for several decades. Over seven decades, different armed actors of Karenni resistance have fought against the heavy militarization of Burmese Military in the area. This continued armed conflict has its significance as autonomous resistance as well as flaws in its own resistance resulting from militarized patriarchy. The conflicts directly affect women’s daily experiences in different aspects of life. Displaced women, and children are at an increased risk during a humanitarian crisis. There is multiple pressure on women to find ways to meet the basic needs for themselves and the community (Hedstrom & Olivious, 2020). The situation affected by the military coup in February 2021 has also impacted hundreds of thousands of the population in Karenni State. The Karenni people have been forced to flee their villages due to clashes between the Burmese military and the local resistance groups (KNWO, 2022). According to the Kayan Women’s Organization (KyWO) brief report about women in Karenni State in June 2023, most of the area in Karenni are experiencing armed conflicts and women are facing different forms of human right violations and abuse. In this situation, women are losing their houses and property, suffering gender-based violence including sexual violence, harassment and domestic violence. The field work for this research was carried out through (15) key informant interviews, (4) life stories interviews, and (4) focus group discussions in addition to structural and unstructured observations. The theoretical concepts of the research underscore militarized patriarchy, exploitation of women in terms of gender division of labor and gender-based violence, and women’s agency. From the thematic analysis, utilized with the support of Max QDA software, the pattern of militarized patriarchy, the impact of war on women and the women’s resistance of militarized patriarchy emerged. Additionally, the research gained the deeper understanding of the experiences of women during conflicts in Karenni State through different aspects such as displacement, food crisis and water shortage, health, education and safety during times of war. Furthermore, the findings shed light on the adversities of Karenni women during war and displacements while resisting the internal system of militarized patriarchy. Despite the challenges, Karenni women are rising individually and collectively as Civil Society Organizations continue to play a significant role in strengthening the resilience of the Karenni Society by supporting women. The multifaceted challenges faced by Karenni women in a militarized patriarchal society, and the various strategies they employ to resist and survive within this system is collectively underscored.