Mon's Women's Affair and Mon Women's Day to be celebrated for the first time

Loa Htaw, IMNA
February 28, 2006

For the first time the Mon Women's Organization (MWO) will organize activities related to Mon Women's Affair and Mon Women's Day in March. It aims to work among Mon women's groups, according to the host organization.

MWO is the oldest and the largest among Mon women organizations and works mostly inside the country. But they rarely celebrate “Mon Women's Day.” It has never observed “Mon Women's Affair” before.

“Mon Women's Affair aims to have contact, help each other, cooperate between each other and the Mon Women's Organization,” said a leader of MWO. She did not want to be named as she is involved in many activities inside the country and is afraid she cannot go back Burma .

WCRP (Women and Child Rights Project) has worked and given training on women rights along with MWO in Burma . But WCRP is keen on wanting to work and render more cooperation. “WCRP also wants MWO to help prepare documentation on women for us” said the Coordinator of WCRP, Mi Khamom Htaw.

The Mon Women's Affair will be held for two days after celebrations of the Mon Women's Day on March 10 on the birthday of Mon Queen, Mi Joa Bu (Shin Sawbu) who was famous for ruling the country well and embellished the Shwe Dagon Pagoda claims the “History of Rangoon”.

Mon Women's Affair will discuss topics such as “women and politics, leadership, education, peace, justice, independence, health, and development” added the MWO leader. Other organizations can also contribute topics based on women's issues.

“The WCRP also will suggest discussions on women and economics, environment and journalists” said Mi Khamom Htaw. “Women have not been much involved in these sectors” she added.

Mon women groups from different organizations on the Thai-Burma border are excited and some are already ready to go for Mon Women's Affair and Mon Women's Day.

Mon women organizations from inside and outside Burma have about five organizations and some of them are based on the Thai-Burma border.