Speaking Truth for Peace

Women survivors of conflict and oppression are often haunted by silence and invisibility—both before and after the violations they experience. They are often pushed to the fringes of society—marginalized, perhaps even demonized, and disempowered. The full truth about what happened to them and how it continues to affect their lives is erased or denied—not only by the state, local authorities, and the national elite, but often even by those in their own communities and families.

In 2016 and 2017, AJAR in collaboration with local partners conducted participative research with 31 women as part of our ongoing efforts to break the silence and amplify the voices of women survivors in Myanmar. We explored how women experience conflict and state violence, and in its aftermath struggle to survive in a system where impunity is the norm. Our research provides key lessons on how these women have helped themselves, while largely remaining invisible to those providing aid in conflict and post-conflict settings. In the rush to create peace, authorities want victims of war and repression to vanish and magically transform themselves into ordinary citizens without any specialized support. Marginalized from peace process discussions, women are unable to adequately voice their needs.

Women’s unique experiences must be taken into consideration in peace discussions in order to bring positive change to their lives and communities. Meaningful peace cannot be built without including the voices and demands of survivors – women must be listened to in order to build a sustainable future. AJAR and its partners believe that our research and ongoing activities with survivors help to empower women to speak up and participate in local peace efforts. We hope that this booklet will inspire other survivors to tell their stories and thus amplify the call for truth, justice, reparations and peace.

Owner/Developer : AJAR

Language : Burmese, English