Nang Kham worries about her children’s future, “what about families who cannot afford to finance (higher) education for their children? How can we find institutions who can help provide funds for this?” Her questions resonated with other farmers around her.
Limited access to land titling is another issue that some women face. In some parts of the country, only their husbands’ names are written on land certificates. However, this is not the case in Nang Kham’s traditionally Shan village: In Shan culture the family decides the ownership and inheritance of land.
The subtle nature of gender inequality
In comparison with other parts of the world, such as Latin America, gender-based discrimination that affects women – and more specifically women in illicit cultivation – may appear more subtle in Myanmar, and possibly also in the wider Southeast Asia region.
As argued by thinkers like Tharapi Than, the impact of gender inequality in Myanmar is magnified for women who belong to certain ethnic minority groups, for women in rural areas and/or in conflict and poverty, and for women who take part in illegal activities.
This multi-layered form of marginalisation is exacerbated by socioeconomic inequality between the rich and poor as well as between those in urban and rural areas. Such inequality further alienates disadvantaged women, for instance by depriving them of basic education, and prevents them from fighting for their rights – all while the myth that there is no fight to be fought hangs in the air.
Gender equality benefits women, men, and the wider society
When asked about what they wished to see change in their lives in the future, Nang Kham and many other respondents did not mention anything gender-specific. “We want to see better roads and electricity, which we don’t have at the moment,” said one woman. Nang Kham answered, “we need more livelihoods or income sources and better access to education and healthcare.”
These sentiments were shared many times during our conversations with women farmers. Several women who have taken part in the Myanmar Opium Farmers’ Forum2 (MOFF) meetings, felt that having more opportunities to speak publicly either at village or community meetings has in fact enabled them to strengthen their capacities. They developed skills, which helped to defend their interests and eventually enhanced the well-being of their families and the wider community.
Recent initiatives like the MOFF aim to support changes in the lives of opium farmers for the better, while contributing to the refinement of the country’s drug-related policies in general. Yet they remain incomplete without the adequate participation of women, whose tireless efforts and productive insights deserve real attention and acknowledgment. The need for further participation of women in society has become even more important today, given the new set of challenges faced by farmers due to COVID-19 related impacts and restrictions. In the last three months alone, opium prices have dropped by almost fifty percent.
Nang Kham’s story represents just a small part of what is experienced by tens of thousands in Myanmar who have long endured harsh policies and exclusion because of their involvement in the illicit drug market. Regardless, there is genuine hope that by sharing her story, Nang Kham could help encourage other women to speak out and encourage the wider community to realise the collective benefits of gender equality.
Notes:
1 To learn more about this conflict and its implications, see: Amnesty International. Myanmar: Atrocities in the Shan State https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/152000/asa160051998en.pdf and Statement by Shan community groups, (June 2020). Still waiting for justice: remembering the Hsai Khao and Tad Fa Ho massacres. https://www.shanhumanrights.org/eng/index.php/392-still-waiting-for-justice-remembering-the-hsai-khao-and-tad-fa-ho-massacres
2 The Myanmar Opium Farmers’ Forum was formed in 2013 to protect the rights of farmers and help them have meaningful involvement in drug policy design and alternative livelihood development. Read more: https://www.tni.org/en/profile/myanmar-opium-farmers-forum-moff