International Development Law Organization

Eliminating SGBV in Myanmar's communities

25 Nov 2018

On November 25, 2018 IDLO partnered with Life Drama to host an event commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in Myanmar. This event also commenced the 16 days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence - #HearMeToo, a global campaign that seeks to mobilize people at the local, regional, and global levels to work to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.


Opening speech: Delivered by Mette Jacobsgaard, acting Interim Country Manager of IDLO in Myanmar

November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, a day where people everywhere raise awareness about the atrocious acts of violence committed against women and girls around the world.

November 25 also commences the 16 days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign which mobilizes people at the local, regional, and global levels to work to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls; we wear orange today to unify the action being taken under this campaign and signify our combined work towards a better  future, where women and girls do not fear sexual and gender-based violence.

we wear orange today to unify the action being taken under this campaign and signify our combined work towards a better  future, where women and girls do not fear sexual and gender-based violence.

Around the world, there are significant obstacles for women who seek access to justice and services in response to sexual and gender-based violence. In Myanmar, these obstacles include widespread cultural and social stigma shrouding this type of violence, as well as an overall lack of legal awareness and adequate formal and informal legal protections.

In Myanmar, these obstacles include widespread cultural and social stigma shrouding this type of violence, as well as an overall lack of legal awareness and adequate formal and informal legal protections.

In response to these obstacles, IDLO works with the public and local partners to increase access to justice and reduce the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence in Myanmar. IDLO is the only intergovernmental organization exclusively devoted to promoting the rule of law.

Since 2014, IDLO has been working in Myanmar to establish four Rule of Law Centres across the country, which provide training, public dialogue and access to resources to address local justice needs. Sexual and gender-based violence is embedded in our curricula through sessions,  which focus on defining this type of physical and emotional violence - using a survivor-centered approach, as well as identifying the root causes of this violence, such as discrimination and gender inequality.

IDLO continues to work towards the prevention and elimination of gender-based violence in Myanmar through our Women’s Access to Justice Project. This project is implemented in partnership with MyJustice, which is funded by the European Union and executed by the British Council. The event today is co-facilitated with Life Drama.

The Women’s Access to Justice Project brings together community-based organizations to build the capacity needed to support women and girls in their communities.

Sexual and gender-based violence awareness initiatives are a key tool of this Project. The initiatives aim to break down the prevailing stigma surrounding sexual and gender-based violence which place this type of violence in the private sphere and prevent any form of justice.

IDLO recognizes -  that it is our partner community-based organizations, who work at the grassroots level, that best understand how to address the issue and develop sustainable initiatives that will best serve their communities. Our partners engage with their communities using different techniques, including forum theaters, trainings and counseling, to raise awareness of sexual and gender-based violence and fight for change. By working together, our efforts in this fight are strengthened, making us better equipped to increase women’s and girls’ awareness of their rights about sexual and gender-based violence, and improve their accessibility to legal and support services.

By working together, our efforts in this fight are strengthened, making us better equipped to increase women’s and girls’ awareness of their rights about sexual and gender-based violence, and improve their accessibility to legal and support services.

This year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, comes at a time when the issue of sexual and gender-based violence has been brought onto the global stage by mass social media movements. We must take advantage of this increased visibility and use the global momentum to eliminate all forms of sexual and gender-based violence.

Today we hope to inspire change, show our solidarity with survivors and encourage action against the pervasive issue of gender-based violence.

We hope that all of you here can seize this opportunity to continue the dialogue about this type of violence and join forces to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls.

Thank you!


More information

See more about IDLO's work on #JusticeforWomen