YANGON, Myanmar : New bill to seek more protection for women

September 26, 2017September 26, 2017 Contributor 0 Comment Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Daw Hla Hla Yee, Dr Mya Thaung, Ministry of Social Welfare, National Legal consultant, One Stop Women Support Center (OSWSC), Relief and Resettlement

A bill to prevent violence against women will be presented in the sixth Hluttaw, an official told The Myanmar Times. The bill was not yet finalised under the previous government and there were many revisions from the initial proposal. The legislation was finally submitted to the attorney-general’s office in the last week of July. The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement will introduce the bill in the Cabinet and Hluttaw, said Dr Mya Thaung, member of parliament and chairman of the Women & Children’s Rights Committee.

‘’We are trying to present this bill at the sixth Hluttaw in priority. This law has been in the pipeline for a very long time. Thus we won’t revise it this time,” he said.

The bill was debated in parliament for 4 years, since 2013.

The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement has been in charge of drafting the bill. The proposal worked its way through the various ministries suggestions and comments as many ministries are involved with the legislation.

Moreover, many local and International NGOs and UN consultants were included in the drafting phase, which further explains the lengthy process.

This bill stipulates the need to protect women from all forms of violence, including domestic abuse, marital rape, sexual violence, harassment by stalking, harassment in work place and public place and violence through tradition and customary practice, explained Daw Hla Hla Yee, National Legal consultant on the issue and director advocate of the Legal Clinic Myanmar.

“I agree that stronger laws are needed to protect women from violence but better training for the police and court staff is also required” she said.

Myanmar signed the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1997, requiring the government to undertake certain actions to protect women. The government is also implementing the National Strategic Plan for the Advancement of Women (2013-2022).

According to the Department of Social Welfare’s data, it has opened 10 domestic vocational education centers to support women’s development and security in places affected by natural disaster and social conflict and established a help line (067-404666 or 067-404777). The department opened the One Stop Women Support Center (OSWSC) for women suffering abuses. The government opened a center in Yangon and Mandalay in 2016.

HTIKE NANDA WIN | 25 SEP 2017 | COURTESY: MYANMAR TIMES |