Translator: Myo Aung Reviewer: sann tint
I'd like to begin with words mentioned by world-famous economist Amartya Sen,
"Empowering women is the key to building the future we want."
One more thing I'd like to point -
These ese are Hilary Clinton's words -
“When women participate in the economy, everybody benefits”.
I was born in Minhla , a village in Kalay Township in Sagaing Division.
In my village we have only about 200 houses.
People in our village do growing and farming
for their living.
All the women I've met since my childhood are
those who will be busy with preparation for food and living as the day breaks.
After that, they will rush to their farms and stay there for whole day.
No matter how, rain or shine, they have to work all day long.
When they come back to home, they'll carry baskets full of firewood.
It is to cook evening meal.
Because, we haven't had electricity in our village yet.
Once it is getting dark, do you think their work is finished?
Not yet, they are all the time busy with housework,
social affairs and religilious affairs..
Women are working for at least 14 hours a day.
if we count their working hours from the dawn to dusk,
Though they have to work up to 14 hours a day,
do they have extra income for that ? No.
Do we count their labor charges ?
No, we do not count it.
Those are the women who are living in our countryside..
Besides , in accordance with our culture or as a policy,
we classify those women as dependents.
I am also assumed as such a dependent person!
When I lost my National Registration Card, I had to apply for a new one.
It was in Yangon.
While I was applying, the uncle at the Immigration Department
put me into my card as a dependent.
So, I went back to him, "Uncle, I am not a dependent,
I have a job. I have an income, I am not a dependent.", I argued.
"My daughter, you are a young lady, livig with parents."
And, again he put me as a dependent. I had to erase and rewrite it.
After I went and argued three times and he aske me what he should write then..
I asked him to put me as a private business peson.
Only after third atteampt he wrote down as a private business person.
What about my friends here? Especially Myanmar ladies?
What is written in their National Registration Cards?
Are they specified as private business ?
or how they are mentioned there?
How about gentlemen here?
Would you like to see your loving wives,
sweethearts or your sisters as dependents?
Anyway, our surroundings and policy describe them as dependents.
Once we are described as dependents, we have to face consequent problems.
Because, our women are losing their rights to own property.
They do not have necessary papers for that.
Therefore, when they have to start earning for their living,
they want to begin their business, they face problems.
Banks or anywhere, they cannot ask for loans.
In this way, the path for economic growth is somehow blocked for them.
We all know that in our country
more than 70% of people are living in rural areas.
And, in accordance with 2014 census,
we know that we have population of more than 51 millions.
From those 51 millions and plus, women are 26 millions and plus.
Once 70% are living in rural areas,
then, 70% of 26 millions comes to 18 millions and plus.
So, we see that Myanmar's women population of more than 18 millions
are living in rural areas
and they are dependent for their lives on farming and planting.
One thing we have to think is that..
Do we count the economic contribution of those planting
and farming works done by them?
I tried to search for data.
On on line sources and in magazines
I was trying but could not get anything.
We do not recognize
the economic production of more than 18 millions women.
Not counting of those economic contributions
and needs of such a mass people,
it will cause delays in our country's economic plans
and social plans, I suppose so.
Since my age of 17, I have been working in a women organization,
in a Chin women organization.
Up to now I am still an Adviser there.
I do some research for them.
I'd like to tell you about one organization
which I came to know during my research.
It is called "Dorcas Saving Group".
They are working in Falam Township, in Chin State.
They have a lot of difficulties.
Even though life is so difficult there,
they form small groups and save Ks.2,000 a month.
Every member saves Ks.2,000 each month.
They began with that Ks.2000 and now after three years,
they have had savings of about Ks. 10 millions.
Having that Ks. 10 millions, if one of member
wants to expand their business, they allow them to use it as a loan.
Therefore if a woman wants to breed one pig,
with the loan from their group, she can breed two or three pigs more.
It is some kind of business expansion.
And, they can get education loans
for their children too.
If they have health problems, if they have to go to hospital,
they can get that loan for that.
For a place like our Chin State,
where we have such difficulties with education and health services,
those contributions are very effective
for our women and their families.
Now we can see that in every localities of Falam Township,
those Saving Groups have started functioning.
So, we can see that even our women do face a lot of problems,
they are not sitting and waiting, but they are doing something instead.
We will have to recognize it.
Looking such groups I noticed some thing:
those women are not graduates,
they did not even pass matriculation exams.
They are ordinary women, who are raising their children.
But, in a short time of the course they acquired accountant skills.
They know very well how to manage their Ks. 10 millions.
And I can notice that their teamwork improved a lot
during their common and mutual work.
We all know that teamwork is a main factor
for a successful business.
Besides, I noticed that their decision making skills,
leadership skills are extremely good.
So, we can find this kind of skills in a lot of such small groups
in all woman population living in rural areas of Myanmar.
And additionally,how are we going to encourage them?
A question arises that how we are going to empower them.
We all know that women are good in planning
and using their own income, or her husband's income
or family's income.
My mother too is such a woman.
My mother could attend only up to higher school.
But, in our house she is the best finance manager and accountant..
If we could have such a finance manager in our country,
our country's budget will save a lot, I am sure.
Why I am telling about these examples?
By allowing women to do so just so much,
their contributions for their family is too much.
That is why we all have to consider
how we are going to count economic contributions,
productions of more than 18 millions
of our women in our country.
One thing which I always believe is
by improving a woman's abilities
by improving her business activities,
we are improving her family's economy.
It is improvement of our society's economy at the same time.
In this way are trying improve our country's economy.
According to Our Central Bank's website, GDP of our country is 8.7%.
If we want to increase our GDP more,
we have to take account of the wages of our more than 18 millions women.
Finally I would like to say that
if we can improve the capability of women,
that improvement will never can be lost,
it will be the best error-free investment.
Let me say it in English:
Empowering women is empowering family, empowering communities,
boosting our country's Economic growth,
that is the investment that will not fail.
Thank you, every body!