Executive summary !"#$% & '() ! % * +,-% Women in Myanmar have inspired political leadership, reported fearlessly on current events and played a leading role in civil society. As a result, however, they have faced a multitude of legal and policy restrictions and arbitrary punishments. Women experience these restrictions, punishments and their effects differently to men. For men, these restrictions and punishments tend to come from the government, whereas for women they are reinforced and exacerbated by society in the form of gender-based discrimination and gender-based violence. As a result, women and other gender-minorities often experience restrictions and punishments more acutely than men. This report sets out to answer several initial questions. How does the right to freedom of expression and information apply to women in Myanmar? How are women represented in the media? What information necessary for women is not easily available? Why are women’s voices not heard at the highest levels of decision making? What gender-based violence do women experience as a result of what they say? It comes to a number of conclusions, including: • • • • • • • • • • • Women journalists generally have more junior or gender-related roles than men. Women journalists have no gender-based support or voice within the media sector. Women journalists are ‘protected’ rather than empowered. Gender-based stereotyping is rife across the media, particularly in broadcasting. The government does not prioritise the provision of access to information for women. Women’s access to gender-specific information is hindered by cultural barriers. Women’s voices are excluded from decision making. Women included in decision making are selectively chosen by government. Women’s gender and sexual identity are used to exclude them from civic space. Women in Myanmar experience expression-related violence and its effects differently. The current remedies and protective measures that exist to protect women from violence actually make it worse. Understanding these issues has led to the following targeted recommendations. Most of them would benefit not only women but other people in Myanmar, too. In addition, some of them are already part of Myanmar’s little known National Strategic Plan for the Advancement of Women adopted by the government in 2013. 8$.%$"'$+/,&<$H&$+"&<B% (/5:%:A6>&6*1:%&69":%-/5:%&=/5 2M-%2M-%>)"&>)"&87!%6!6'":% $+=%6$)"=%6>&>"$+"&I '6L="=%'>3AO=:%&!3" <#:%&>?@2+=% '>-%7=%2@P'73QP'!B%&'#3:%& R&69":%R&>3=%8-,*Q;6L=":%& </>-1<B%S </5P#6! T-60():;% $@G106>&>" =.%P<#%*+=%$+"&U #7=%<#% '8-!%0V%$+"&():;% >:%9/5:%L=>-1<B%S 4/5'=.%P'<#%U '8-!%0V%$+"&():;% <=%6>"=%$M$+"&<B% '$+/,&<"&$+"&():;% $#@6<" '6#3O'W=,A$+"& 87!%6-X6!-1<B%S '$+/,&<"&$+"&'"& =.%P<#%'8-!%6-&$M=/5 '!/5&>= ARTICLE 19 - Censored gender: Women’s right to freedom of expression and information in Myanmar - Page 2