A/HRC/56/CRP.8 VII. The economic, social, and cultural rights of women, girls, and LGBT persons 120. The military coup, the brutality and oppression that followed, and the collapse of state institutions, have severely impacted the economic, social, and cultural rights of people in Myanmar. Gender and sexual orientation significantly exacerbate the impact of these deteriorating conditions. In light of these circumstances, women, girls, and LGBT people are also increasingly vulnerable to a range of gendered risks, including trafficking, exploitation, and early or forced marriage. A. Loss of economic independence and livelihood opportunities 121. The economic growth and reduced poverty rates in the decade after Myanmar’s political opening have been reversed by the compounding effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the military coup. According to the World Bank, at the end of 2023 the economy was 10 percent smaller than it was in 2019.67 Currently, employment rates are collapsing, inflation is surging, and labor conditions are deteriorating. Economic backsliding has been particularly devastating for women in Myanmar, who have suffered wage losses, reductions in livelihood opportunities, and increases in unpaid care responsibilities since the coup. This points to a high likelihood of longer-term setbacks to women’s economic well-being and independence. 122. Women in Myanmar are facing a growing gender gap with regards to employment rates and labor force participation since the military coup. According to the International Labour Organization, women’s employment rate declined by 11 percent between 2017 and 2022, double the drop experienced by men over the same period.68 Sectors that employ high numbers of women, such as the garment industry, tourism, and hospitality, have experienced some of the greatest economic disruptions since the coup. Several global fashion brands have stopped sourcing from Myanmar garment factories in light of the coup, leading to a loss of jobs for women. Movement restrictions and security concerns have also contributed to a sharp increase in the unemployment rate of women. 123. Women who have retained formal employment face deteriorating labor conditions and gendered human rights violations. Female factory workers often experience wage reduction and theft, inhumane working conditions, and forced and often unpaid overtime. Inadequate labor laws and the lack of enforcement of existing protections following the coup mean that women are experiencing gender-based violence and harassment in their workplace with virtual impunity. Women face widespread discrimination and are sometimes fired without cause. With an almost complete absence of rule of law, workers have little means to challenge workplace conditions and rights violations. 124. Armed conflict, displacement, the collapse of formal education, and other post-coup challenges have forced many women to take on more unpaid forms of work, including household work and caring for children and elderly relatives. This trend has exacerbated existing gendered divisions of labor within the home. With more duties at home, women have fewer opportunities for paid work and increasingly experience “time poverty.” Rural women and those living in households with children are particularly impacted. An ethnic Karen woman who was displaced from her village told the Special Rapporteur: 67 68 The World Bank, Myanmar Economic Monitor, December 2023, https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099121123082084971/pdf/P5006631739fd70a01a66c1 e15bf7b34917.pdf, p. 38. International Labor Organization, “Myanmar: Labour market update 2023,” July 2023, https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---iloyangon/documents/briefingnote/wcms_888644.pdf, p. 5. 29