20th
Anniversary of Karen Women’s Organization Day Praises Karen Women’s Role
Independent
Mon News Agency (IMNA)
As a significant recognition to
the founders of Karen Women’s Organization and the heroic women in fighting for
the rights of Women and Karen revolution, today 20th Anniversary of
KWO Day offers 17 elder Karen women with silver medals and clothes, said by a
Central Committee of KWO, Ms. Naw Khaing
Mar Kyaw Zaw.
20th Anniversary of
KWO Day is celebrated in eight locations along Thailand-Burma border including
in Mae Sot town, and the celebrating committees offer silver medals and cloths
to those 17 women.
Dr. Cynthia Maung, a well-known
medical doctor, who attended the celebration told IMNA that the ceremony offers
‘recognition’ to those women for their hard working for the liberation of Karen
people and welfare and the rights of women in order to encourage the new women
activists to have strengths in their activities.
“The main objective of offering the
recognition is, in our Karen people, only we recognized the male leaders, but
we have never recognized the role of the women who involved in the struggle of
national liberation and social welfare for the people. This is the main objective in order to recognize
those women leaders”, explained by Ms. Kyaw Zaw, who
is a well-known writer in many publications produced along the border.
“As main activity of our
organization, we want more women voices, opinions, and participation in every
struggle. We believe that there is no
victory or achievement for any political party or organization working for
Karen people without women participation.
It they achieve, we think it is not sufficient one”, added by Ms. Kyaw Zaw.
General Secretary of Karen
National Union (KNU), Bado Mahn
Shar, explained to IMNA that KNU has strategic
planning to have increased women role in the
In order to recognize their
roles in this important day, 16 women and 1 man are selected. Age range of those selected persons from 64
years to 102 years old and many of them involved in struggle since the
formation of KWO in 1985. Even they are
in elderly age, some of them still help KWO, added by Bado
Mahn Shar.
In Mae Sot area, 5 women are
selected and the reminding women candidates are selected in many different
Karen areas. There are 100 participants
including alliance other ethnic women’s organizations attended Mae Sot’s KWO
Day celebration.
KWO Day has been celebrated
every year on the founding date of the organization. Last year in KWO Day, KWO also produced a
report on the sexual violations against Karen women by the Burmese Army, in
name of “Shattering Silence”. But Ms.
Kyaw Zaw said, this is the
first time of celebration to recognize heroic and historic Karen women to
praise their roles.
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