'*.%&=K():;% #"G.%G#w>"&<B% !!%#-%J 'e/-f1?%<#%$)#%8*:%&=/5 'L=H&'=+?%<=%6>"=%*A>62<B%S ?:%&=/5 73QO!B%&-A5 '68**AT-60-1 '$+/&<$H&$+"&():;% 9/5:%6<" 8-b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k:%&#/5O-1G:%69":%>3=%$M6L=":;% <=%6>"=%$M=/587!%6! '=Q87#%] $>(/5:%6#";6-S (/5:%:A6#"%<B% '$+/,&<$H&$+"&-1G:%69":%>3=%$M=/5 87!%6-X6!>.% D#%N+#% 2+"4"&8*:%&$+/,&2B%& $>)/6-S 4/5</5O '$+/,&<$H&$+"&J 45#%67"%*3:;%'<A=/5 L=T%7?%4"&$M6L=":;% 2/:%<D"G'68**A 'L=$%&7=%$M=/5 <6D"6-1=%."&2B%$M$>)/8*:%&U 62+";.B%&6'":% '6>&#?@ 69":%>3=%$M$>)/8*:%&#/5O=/5 '4:%'>)"& 6#3O8$:%6.>-1<B%S Issue 7: Women’s voices are excluded from decision making Participants believed that women’s voices are being excluded from decision making at almost every level and in almost every sector of society. The participants worried that because women’s voices are excluded, there is little pressure to change the traditional assumption that men’s opinions are important and deserve listening to, whereas women’s opinions are not to be considered. Women’s voices are blocked from political decision making because there are few of them at the top levels of the military. One of the key reasons flagged by participants for the low number of women’s voices at decision-making levels across the state’s infrastructure is the fact that the majority of senior officials are from the military, which consists almost entirely of men. This is most obvious in parliament where the constitution guarantees 25% of seats, a total of 166 seats, to the military. One parliamentary participant highlighted that public pressure in 2014 had resulted in the military starting recruiting women for the first time, ARTICLE 19 - Censored gender: Women’s right to freedom of expression and information in Myanmar - Page 61