INTRODUCTION: "In July 2016, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (the Committee) will examine Myanmar?s combined fourth and fifth periodic report at its 64th session. This examination provides an opportunity to review Myanmar?s progress since its last review in 2008 towards implementing in law and practice the provisions of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (the Convention). Since a quasi-civilian government came to power in 2011, Myanmar has embarked on a number of political, economic and social reforms. However, despite these reforms, Amnesty International is concerned that women and girls continue to face barriers to the full exercise of their human rights in law, policy and practice. In this briefing Amnesty International highlights four areas of concern: 1) restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, which includes the situation of women human rights defenders (WHRDs); 2) the enactment of four discriminatory laws aimed at ?protecting race and religion”; 3) the situation of Rohingya women and girls in Rakhine State; and 4) the lack of access to justice, truth and reparation for human rights abuses against women and girls in areas of armed conflict. Please note, however, that the concerns listed here are not exhaustive. In this submission, Amnesty International also assess progress made by Myanmar on implementing the Convention and sets out ways in which the government could better comply with its obligations under the Convention. The following documentation draws on Amnesty International?s ongoing research, which involves regular contact with local and international non-governmental organizations; and interviews with victims of human rights violations and abuses and their families, lawyers, and government officials. It also relies on daily media monitoring and extensive reading of academic and other credible publications..."