An exploration of gender-based violence in eastern Myanmar in the context of political transition: findings from a qualitative sexual and reproductive health assessment.
Outcomes: Child, Early, and Forced Marriage, Gender‑Based Violence, Sexual and Reproductive Health
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways
This study highlights the persistent and deeply embedded gender norms in eastern Myanmar that sustain gender-based violence (GBV) and limit women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health (SRH) rights, despite political transitions. Norms surrounding male dominance, early marriage, domestic violence, and restrictions on adolescent girls’ access to SRH services were consistently cited across all levels of the socioecological model. Cultural expectations that normalize violence, silence survivors, and discourage unmarried adolescents from seeking care are reinforced by militarization, community attitudes, and limited service provision—contributing to a climate of impunity and invisibility around GBV.
Objectives
The study aimed to explore ongoing and emerging issues related to GBV in the context of Myanmar’s political transition, with a particular focus on how changes have impacted women’s experiences of violence and access to SRH services in ethnic minority communities in eastern Myanmar and along the Thailand border.
Methods
The qualitative assessment was conducted in March–April 2015 using 12 focus group discussions with women aged 18–49 who had children under five, 12 interviews with village-based health workers in Kayin State, and 20 interviews with staff from community-based organizations (CBOs) in Mae Sot and Chiang Mai, Thailand. Data were analyzed thematically using a socioecological framework to examine GBV across individual, interpersonal, community, policy, and societal levels.
Results
The study found that multiple forms of GBV—military and community-based sexual violence, trafficking, intimate partner violence (IPV), and early marriage—remain prevalent. Restrictive gender norms limit women’s autonomy over SRH decisions, while shame and stigma silence survivors and inhibit care-seeking. IPV was often normalized within communities, and early marriage was linked to poverty, limited SRH awareness, and gendered expectations around family roles. Unmarried adolescents faced stigma and social exclusion when seeking contraceptives or SRH information. The military presence, economic development projects, drug use, and lack of legal protections exacerbated vulnerabilities, particularly for displaced and migrant women.
Conclusions
Despite political reforms, systemic drivers of GBV—such as militarization, poverty, and entrenched patriarchal norms—remain unchanged, and in some cases, are intensified by economic and political developments. Community-based, multisectoral SRH and GBV response services that are sensitive to social norms and reach the most marginalized women are urgently needed. Addressing GBV in this context requires transformative approaches that challenge societal norms, support survivors, and build women’s agency and access to justice and care.
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