Myanmar military’s sham election is yet another setback for gender equality

On July 31 of this year, four and a half years after Myanmar’s 2021 coup thrust the country into turmoil and war, the military lifted its “state of emergency.” Less than a month later, the junta announced that an election would be held on December 28. The declaration comes as fighting intensifies across the country, with civilians, notably women, bearing the greatest impact of the violence amid conflict and a worsening humanitarian crisis.Since the coup, at least 3.5 million people have been internally displaced, and an estimated 20 million are in urgent need of life-saving aid. Today, 63 townships are under martial law, while resistance groups have made gains across the country over the last few years. Despite some recent setbacks for the resistance, analysts say the junta’s control is weakening. With the country’s hopes of becoming a federal democracy at risk, the so-called “election” presents yet another challenge for women’s rights and gender equality in Myanmar, further weakening protections for women as justice and accountability remain inaccessible and continue to diminish under the military. The junta’s illegal rule highlights the systemic failures in Myanmar that have enabled the military to push its agenda through violence and force. Continued militarisation will only serve to strengthen impunity, as women’s rights are not only compromised but completely ignored. Election monitors and international stakeholders should not recognise the junta’s latest attempt to tighten control. Instead, they should work with local women’s organisations to restore truth and democracy. Since the coup, women’s rights have significantly declined. Numerous women’s groups have reported an increase in cases related to gender-based violence and have called for greater attention to the plight and protection of women, including the Women’s League of Burma, the Kachin Women’s Association Thailand, the Burmese Women’s Union, the Karenni National Women’s Organisation, and the Women’s Peace Network, among others. Last year, the International Commission of Jurists released a report stating that: “military authorities have subjected women deprived of liberty to a multitude of egregious human rights violations, including certain acts of gender-based violence amounting to crimes under international law.”The suffering that women face will likely only be exacerbated if the junta is solidified through a sham election. The military’s history of open misogyny and discriminatory policies that detrimentally affect women risks becoming even more entrenched. Women’s rights, which the junta does not protect nor prioritise, will only continue to be ignored as they slip far below international standards. A history of repression Over the last four and a half years, conflict has affected at least 321 of the 330 townships in Myanmar across all states and regions, causing significant impacts on women. In its report at the end of 2024, the Karenni Interim Executive Council—a civilian administrative body for areas of Karenni State held by the resistance—stated that violence against women was the most prevalent crime reported to them. The council documented over 40 such cases in a single year. Women make up the majority of those displaced, many of whom have been killed, along with their children, by the airstrikes the junta generals have ordered. Extreme violence continues to afflict women daily in Myanmar, from airstrikes to shelling, to arson, to ground raids where rape is still used as a weapon of war. With no legal framework to reinforce and protect their rights, they are at grave risk of falling victim to crimes of conflict-related sexual violence. By the end of last year, nearly 500 cases of sexual assault against women had been documented in Myanmar’s conflict.Civilians—caught between the junta and armed resistance groups—increasingly face violence. Thousands have been killed since 2021, creating a climate of fear, especially for women, who have experienced a significant rise in threats. Even before the coup, women’s rights were sidelined by successive governments, including the National League for Democracy, which failed to engage women-led civil society or advance policies supporting women’s role in politics and peace. Under the Union Solidarity and Development Party, only one woman was elected to the parliament in 2015 and 2020. Meanwhile the military continued to perpetrate human rights violations against ethnic women and ignored calls for justice and accountability. During the “clearance operations” against the Rohingya in 2016 and 2017, rape and other forms of sexual violence were horrifically deployed against women and girls by the military. Yet no senior officer has been held accountable. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing—accused of crimes against innocent civilians, including the long-persecuted Rohingya—and wanted by the International Criminal Court, lacks credibility and moral standing to hold any leadership role or authority. Under no circumstances should he have the right to “hold elections.” Without a functional legal system, civilians are left without any pathways for justice. The future for Myanmar’s women Min Aung Hlaing’s self-appointment as acting president and leader of the National Security and Peace Commission, as well as his institutional redesign of the political process have confirmed suspicions that the election will be fraudulent, and that deceitful and ruthless methods will be used against civilians without hesitation. This will only lead to more lethal attacks by the military junta, including conflict-related sexual violence. Intentional attacks on women have spread fear and instability, forcing communities to flee and disrupting livelihoods. The impacts of these actions are not only physical, but also profoundly psychological, causing rising cases of PTSD, and leaving women without support, protection or avenues for justice. Local women’s organisations on the ground have actively sought to fill these gaps by providing psychosocial support and trauma-informed therapy, but there remain major challenges in securing sustainable funding.Another period of military rule would continue to see the erosion of human rights in Myanmar and further attacks against women and girls. Despite conflict and instability, women remain committed to building a federal democratic union that respects and upholds their rights. Their growing leadership and community work—from awareness campaigns to health and nutrition services—have provided dignity in crisis. Despite the junta’s fearmongering, they refuse to be silenced or deterred from protecting those affected by violence. The election is the junta’s latest effort to deceive the international community at the expense of innocent local lives. There is ample evidence to support claims that the military is actively trying to weaken protections for women and children.The unique challenges faced by women must be taken seriously by the international community through a gender-informed response to their suffering, prioritising not only their safety but also their potential to voice issues related to women’s peace and security. Any recognition of the election by global stakeholders will be seen as nothing less than complicity in the regime’s display of horrors. Meaningful action is urgently needed to hold perpetrators accountable and to secure justice, ensuring that women’s rights in Myanmar are upheld and protected.Maggi Quadrini is a human rights activist and technical assistant to community-based organisations along the Thai-Myanmar border. She focuses on gender equality, justice, and localisation

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