Women Stand Strong on the Frontlines as Myanmar Protests Face “Bloodiest Day”

3/5/21 By Giulia Campos

Courtesy of Creative Commons

YANGON, Myanmar – At least 38 people were killed during the Myanmar protests after the military crack down on Wednesday. Despite facing “bloodiest day” yet, women remain in the frontlines of the movement. 

Reaching the hundreds of thousands, women are gathering in the daily marches, strikes and demonstration as a rebuke to the military coup on Feb1. Their dominance in the forefront of the protests sends a message of disapproval to the generals who ousted a female civilian leader and reimposed a patriarchal order that has suppressed women for half a century.

Among women fighting for the future of their generation, are people like Ma Kyal Sin, who was shot in the head by security forces while peacefully protesting. Known as Angel, she was wearing an “Everything Will be OK” t-shirt when she kissed her father goodbye for the last time.

“We might lose some heroes in this revolution,” said Ma Sandar, an assistant general secretary of the Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar, who has been partaking in the protests. “Our women’s blood is red.”

According to an United Nations investigation, there are no women in Myanmar’s senior ranks of the military, and its soldiers have systematically committed gang rape against women from ethnic minorities.  

The U.N. Security Council has scheduled a meeting on Friday to reverse the coup and halt military crackdown. Any kind of coordination will be difficult since two permanent members of the Security Council, China and Russia, are likely to veto any action that may harm their close ties to Myanmar.