Every year on March 8, International Women’s Day, we select outstanding women to honour. This year we use the slogan “To change, let’s be brave” and select the following women to profile.
There are many women around us who are brave enough in all sectors to work for change of self, one’s surrounding, one’s region and one’s country. Each and every woman must be brave to fight for the rights we deserve, to eliminate discrimination against women and to grasp all opportunities in equality with men.
Surgeon and Professor Dr. Naw Mar Thay
The Surgeon and Professor Dr. Naw Mar Thay, surgeon at the 1,000-bed hospital in Nay Pyi Taw, is the doctor who could successfully performed a surgery to remove three fetuses from inside the abdomen of a three-month old infant. The operation was conducted on 19 December, 2016 and it has become a milestone in Myanmar’s medical history.
One infant was born with the remaining three of its fellow quadruplets inside its abdomen. The condition is said to occur in 1 in 500,000 live births. According to records, across the world, there were only seven cases in which fetuses were formed inside body of another baby.
Dr. Naw Mar Thay has successfully conducted operations to remove fetuses from inside infants’ abdomen in two cases. The first surgery was conducted in 2011 for a two-year old child to remove a fetus. In the second case, the patient was just a three-month old child with three fetuses inside his abdomen, so the operation was more difficult than the first case. Now, both of the two children are in good health, and the first child has been receiving formal schooling.
Dr. Naw Mar Thay is a doctor who kindly performs surgeries, who is humble, who kindly cooperates with nurses and staff, and who has successfully performed many important operations.
“According to the experiences of a surgeon, that kind of case just has a very slim chance. This is my second case. I experienced the first case in 2011. At that time we didn’t want unnecessary fame, so we did not let the media know about it. And we also thought about the patient, so we did not tell the media about it,” she said.
Women’s rights activist Daw Htar Htar
Daw Htar Htar is a woman who informs the public about the situation of women in Myanmar by using creative ideas, who provides sex education to the public, and who is working for the social and business development of Myanmar women. She is a director of Akhaya Women Group.
The Akhaya Women Group led by Daw Htar Htar has been providing sex education training, carrying out activities to enhance women’s capacities, working for child development, conducting public education about gender equality, creating business opportunities for women, carrying out activities to quell violence against women, providing counselling services for women with trauma of violence, and conducting campaigns to urge the authorities to make laws to effectively punish child rapists.
The group conducted a “Whistle For Help Campaign” to stop sexual harassment against women on the buses. They also worked on the “One Billion Rising Global” movement to end violence against women across the world. In that campaign, people gathered and danced with music.
Currently, the group has modified international courses on gender education and sex education in accordance with Myanmar’s culture and to teach those courses to the public. And the group will continue conducting campaigns urging women to cast their votes for female electoral candidates.
“In Myanmar, some nodded in agreement and some shook their head in disagreement while we are working for gender equality. But there are many things between nodding and shaking heads. What is gender? Whatever you are nodding or shaking your head, we want you to think first what the gender is. Gender inequality affects not only women but also men, families, and even the country. So we want you to think carefully before nodding or shaking your head,” she said.
Luhmu Htoochon (Social Commitment Award) (First Stage) winner Daw Nang Lang Kham
Kanbawza Brighter Future Myanmar Foundation chairperson Daw Nang Lang Kham won the Luhmu Htoochon (Social Commitment Award) (First Stage) presented by Shan State government on the 70th anniversary of the Shan State Day, February 7, 2017.
The Foundation led by Daw Nang Lang Kham has been working for religious development, social development and business development of residents in the Shan State.
She has great capacity in business. She also created jobs in Kanbawza Bank for differently-abled persons. She organized free medical treatment for children with cleft lips and cleft palate, and she conducted gender education for bank staff. She also cooperates with women rights groups to build the capacity of women.
Because of her great efforts, she won not only the Luhmu Htoochon (Social Commitment Award) (First Stage) but also State Excellent Award presented by the President of Myanmar in 2015 and Euromoney Achievement Award for CSR 2015, Job Creation for Differently-abled Persons Award presented by the Social Welfare Relief and Resettlement Award in 2016, and Woman of Excellence Award presented by the Taunggyi Association (Yangon). And Forbes Asia listed her among its dozen Women to Watch.
Myanmar language teacher Myint Myint Zaw
A teacher who teaches Myanmar poems with her sweet and clear voice is Junior Assistant Teacher Myint Myint Zaw from Pauk Township, Magway Region.
She has become famous in Myanmar since she posted her classroom teaching of Myanmar poem entitled ‘Dove singing at sunset’ on social media. Her post went viral on social media and spread not only in her classroom but also to all Myanmar people across the country and expatriates. All Myanmar Teachers’ Federation awarded her outstanding teacher award for her aesthetic teaching in the Myanmar language. Similarly the government publication ‘Pyinnyar Tazaung’ awarded her an outstanding teacher award which is given to outstanding teachers and students annually.
Teacher Myint Myint Zaw first served as a teacher in northern Shan State for over 10 years and currently she is posted at Shwebonthar sub-middle school in Pauk Township, Magway Region and is teaching Myanmar language.
“These poems were written about Myanmar traditions and custom so the children will love our tradition and custom more by learning these poems. The current age is the hip hop music age. The children do not know about our Myanmar classical music and folk songs. After learning these poems they will love our music more and they will love our Myanmar tradition more, I think,” she said.
Dr. Cho Le Aung, Founder and owner of Tree Food
Dr. Cho Le Aung is an entrepreneur who can make Myanmar traditional brown coloured jaggery or sweets into tasty and colourful products that have been exported around the world.
She is a medical doctor and is only 28 but she is fond of innovation. She exported Myanmar traditional jaggery or sweets with new taste and new packing with her trade name of “Tree Food” in the world market and it became popular gradually as “Myanmar chocolate.”
In the beginning in 2014 she encountered a lot of difficulties in marketing her Tree Food products but she never gave up and tried repeatedly and then she could change the philosophy of the consumers now and many people know her products. Myanmar traditional sweets have now become an international food product.
“A woman can achieve her goal anyway but sometimes she has to go through twists and turns and sometimes she has to choose alternative ways. In comparison with her male colleagues, a woman can do tough jobs too by using her brain and with the assistance received. Anyway women can reach the goal too, can reach the same destination. It is not true to say a woman cannot do this and that work. If it is unable to reach through the usual way she can find alternate ways through twists and turns. Finally she will reach her destination too. So never give up your belief and determination,” she said.
Phway Yu Mon
Phway Yu Mon is the founder of Myanmar ASEAN Forum in Myanmar and she is also a peace movement activist.
Since she is a daughter of former political prisoner she has been familiar with politics since her childhood. She started her youth and peace movement with social organizations since 2010. In 2011 she got an opportunity to visit the conflict zone on the Thai-Cambodia border where border skirmishes took place. After arriving back home from this visit, she focused on working with youth peace movements.
When Myanmar hosted the ASEAN Youth Forum in 2014 she attended this forum as a youth representative along with other youth leaders from the ten ASEAN countries. She discussed what young people encountered in Southeast Asian Region. In the recent 70th Union Day celebration held in Panglong, Shan State, she sat with State Counsellor Aung San SuuKyi and took part in a peace roundtable talk. She is always ready to stand with war victims though she has many challenges as a young woman activist in her peace movement.
“I don’t want war at all. Even for those who are living in cities and towns, injustices can be witnessed and known. They can see the suffering of injustice. They can feel and experience those sufferings. Even though they are struggling to make ends meet these war victims have to flee from their homes. We need to stand with those who are suffering in conflicts. And at the same time we don’t want war and conflicts anymore,” she said.
FIFA-recognized female referee Thein Thein Aye
TheinThein Aye is the first women referee recognized by FIFA and served as a referee in the 2016 U-20 Women Soccer World Cup tournament. And also she could handle the final match of the 2016 ASEAN Soccer Championship held in Mandalay.
FIFA-recognized international level female referee Thein Thein Aye was selected as one of the 16 female first officials from 16 countries to serve in U-20 Women World Cup. Only three from Asian countries were selected as first officials to handle these Women World Cup matches. The other two from Asian countries are from China and Australia.
Currently Thein Thein Aye is serving as first official referee in Myanmar National League matches and its affiliated matches. She became the first woman referee in Myanmar National League matches which first kicked off in 2009.
Taekwondo referee Soe Soe Myar
The first Myanmar woman Taekwondo referee who served in the 2016 Rio Olympics is Soe Soe Myar. Moreover, the World Taekwondo Federation promoted her as second level international referee in January 2017. So she became the first Myanmar woman recognized as a second level international referee.
Soe Soe Myar is former Taekwondo athlete and she won many medals in international competitions. And also she won domestic best athlete award in 2007 which has been awarded annually. In 2009 she retired from her career. In 2014, she first worked as international referee and worked in European countries.
50 Asian referees including Soe Soe Myar attended training to serve in the Rio Olympics hosted by Brazil and 18 of them were shortlisted and then they were sent to work in qualifying matches. She was selected in these 18 shortlisted referees. She worked in two world class matches and two Euro zone qualifying matches as referee. After she showed her competency with no mistakes in these matches as the referee she was finally selected as Taekwondo referee for 2016 Rio Olympics.
Film actress Khaing Hnin Wai
Film actress Khaing Hnin Wai is the ambassador of United Act (United against Child Trafficking) which is a drama troupe working to protect children from being trafficked. She also works in an orphanage to help orphans suppress their inferiority complex as much as she could and is also the founder of the Khaing Hnin Wai charity association.
She founded her Khaing Hnin Wai charity association after giving donations to flood victims in July 2015. Her charity association helps as a bridge between those who cannot visit and donate to these flood victims personally and the flood victims. And also she works for the donors in helping orphans left by these natural disasters. She is a leader in this charity work.
In December 2015, because of her charity work for children, she began her work to serve as ambassador of United Act, educational drama troupe for the prevention of child trafficking. As an ambassador of this charity organization, she produced and directed a short educational film under the title ‘Help them’ with her own money. And also she distributed DVDs of this educational short documentary drama for free. Moreover she acted in these short educational dramas and plays and gave assistance to United Act when they requested.
“We don’t need to be shy when we stumble and trip. We must struggle to stand up again. But we need to be shy when we could not stand up again when we stumble and trip. Women need to be tough. Nothing will happen for long time. So I’d like to say to be tough and smart. No need to fear or feel weak because of being a woman. Try hard to be smart,” she said.