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Burma

Women's League of Burma

Address

The Secretariat of the Women's League of Burma (WLB)
P.O Box 413, GPO
Chiangmai 50000 Thailand

Contact Information

If calling from overseas:

Tel: + 66 53 251 937
Fax: + 66 53 872 081

Website

http://www.womenofburma.org/

Email

wlb@chmai2.loxinfo.co.th

Activities

In order to increase the participation of women in the struggle for democracy and human rights, to build mutual understanding among all nationals and participate in the national reconciliation and development process, and to enhance the role of the women of Burma both at national and international levels, the Women's League of Burma (WLB) was established on December 9, 1999. Currently, there are eleven member organizations.

The current membership is comprised of the following organizations.

Burmese Women's Union (BWU)
Kachin Women's Association-Thailand (KWAT)
Karen Women's Organization (KWO)
Kuki Women's Human Rights Organization (KWHRO)
Lahu Women's Organization (LWO)
Palaung Women's Organization (PWO)
Pa-O Women's Union (PWU)
Rakhaing Women's Union (RWU)
Shan Women's Action Network (SWAN)
Tavoy Women's Union (TWU)
Women's Rights and Welfare Association of Burma (WRWAB)

The role of the WLB is to be a platform for women of Burma to push for political change in Burma and work for gender equality in society. WLB advocates on behalf of its member organisations representing women and their families in diverse situations, whether inside Burma, displaced to refugee camps or living as undocumented migrant workers in neighbouring countries.

The WLB is uniquely positioned to advocate for women and change in Burma because it represents a nexus where grassroots, regional, and international processes meet and connections are made. Our advocacy work connects grassroots communities in and displaced from Burma to global processes and resources through the United Nations and regional forums - and vice versa. The advocacy strategies designed and implemented by the WLB therefore incorporate working at these multiple levels to simultaneously bring the messages of its member organisations to international attention while garnering education, experience, connective relationships and resources to bring back to their related communities.

WLB's advocacy work is characterised by a dynamism and spatial complexity that crosses many borders and extends in many directions. Principally, however, WLB advocacy strategies are grounded in a belief in inclusive political processes and therefore broad-based social movements inside Burma with support at the international level.

Dimensions of WLB's advocacy therefore include:

Lobbying at the international level
Gender education, training and empowerment amongst ourselves and within our communities displaced from Burma
Raising gender issues in programs inside Burma.