women's day

International Women’s Day: How women can lead and inspire!

Gender biases against women vary and exist at all layers of society. Some women of the FNF alumni network take the lead to inspire others and highlight the important roles of women in today’s society through visual stories. Others gather physically to encourage people to invest more in women by sharing their inspiring stories in businesses.

This year’s global theme “Inspire inclusion” encourages more investment in women for an increase in participation of women at all levels of society. FNF Myanmar has been taking steps towards gender equality and women empowerment to increase women’s representation in leading businesses and to include women more in the decision-making processes of everyday issues.

Myanmar is a traditional society, that underrates and underappreciates women’s efforts in society.

Expanding the participation sphere for women, FNF Myanmar celebrated International Women’s Day on March 7 and March 8 with its alumni, ranging from artists to businesswomen. 2023 was a phenomenal journey for the FNF Myanmar office, dedicating most of its programs to women, empowering them, connecting them, and inspiring one another to play a bigger role in societal issues. More than 150 women and supporters of women’s rights attended the physical celebration of the International Women’s Day event at Inya Lake Hotel in Yangon on March 7. And 27 women-led businesses came to exhibit their products and services to support FNF’s celebration on this special occasion.

On International Women’s Day, nine female photographers also showcase their works that explore the theme of "Women at Work" through captivating visuals and personal creations. The following are their stories:

• A Poem About Pain by Pan Htwar Tun Oo,
• Colorful Flowers by Khine Zar Mon,
• Soft Hands, Sewing Dreams by Thwe Zin Phoo Aung,
• Ruby by Po Po Pyae Aung,
• Having Crossed the Rivers and Mountains by Thaung Ahsar May,
• Beyond the Shop Front by Su Pan Htwar,
• Thuma by Nant May Flower,
• Slowly I Learned How to Cook From Her by Thin Thin, and
• The Quest by Hein Htet Htet Nway.

Khine Zar Mon, one of the photographers said, "This workshop is directly related to my work as an information associate at a humanitarian organization. I frequently travel to take photo essays in different regions. The training was valuable. We, the nine women participants, had daily photo assignments, just like Ma Hnin mentioned. For the final project titled 'Women's At Work,' our teacher, Shwe Wutt Hmone, trained differentthemes. For the final project, I chose 'Challenges Faced by Women in the Workplace' because, as a working woman myself, I encounter daily obstacles and prioritize my safety while traveling for photography. This topic has enormous relevance to me and my current profession. My presentation, titled 'Colorful Flowers,' represents women who are like flowers and can bloom and stay anywhere, keeping in balance resilience, hardships, and nurturing future generations."

Ruby by Po Po Phoo Pyae Aung was also chosen to participate in the 19th edition of the Angkor Photo Festival.

With nine artists portraying the roles and resilience of Myanmar women, the FNF Myanmar office tries to highlight important roles played by women in society, empowering them to appreciate their work as well as their values that are of support to the development of their spouses and children. These nine presentations are still available to view online in the gallery hall at https://zep.us/play/2bbKzY until March 28, 2024.

For all the audience who want to watch the recording of the Women's Day celebration is available on YouTube.