Brief Description
Women have been an integral part of the uprising movement in Myanmar, often being on the frontline in spite of the danger of being killed, wounded, arrested, tortured and the increased risk of sexual harassment and violence. Women challenge the dictatorship as well as the patriarchal norms, misogyny and sexism rooted at its core. The idea of impurity of women and their relegation to the domestic domain has been confronted by exposing “feminine” attributes in public. For instance, as the exhibition photos show, during protest women proudly carried bras and sanitary pads. Other photos also document the display of women’s drying htamain or longyi (sarong), which traditionally is believed to harm men’s hpon (mystical power), thus lowering the “masculine status of the security force”.
The photo exhibition, organized by SEA Junction in collaboration with the Women’s League of Burma, the Myanmar Project and Asia Justice and Rights, documented women’s actions out on the streets of Burma since the coup d’état. Lasting from 23 November to 5 December 2021 on the 1st floor of the BACC, the exhibition showcased photos taken by a collective of recent graduates in journalism in Burma who have been covering the protests from all around the country under the umbrella of Myanmar Project as well as photos collected by the member institutions of the Women’s League of Burma. Together, the collection showed how wide-spread, diverse and empowering women leadership and participation has been and continue to be in opposition to the Tatmadaw.
Photo by Lattapol Jirapathomsakul and Rosalia Sciortino
