Regressing Gender Equality in Myanmar: Women living under the pandemic and military rule

One year after the military takeover, it is difficult to foresee any rapid improvement in the divisive course of events in Myanmar. Women are starting to see their future disappear before their eyes. They are scared to leave their homes and the peace, political and economic rights they enjoyed for a decade are rapidly disappearing.

UNDP and UN Women brought their complementary mandates and capacities together to conduct this study. This alliance has generated much-needed data on the impact of the twin crises on women. This complements datasets already held by both organizations, supports analysis to highlight the gendered nature of the pandemic and coup and provides a solid foundation for designing gender-sensitive interventions.

The Women living under the pandemic and military rule survey looks at the way that women are affected by macro developments and trends. It is important to understand the real-time social and economic impacts of COVID-19 and the military coup, not just for measures of income poverty but also for vulnerability more generally and for how the double crisis is impacting Myanmar’s women both at the family and individual levels.