The 30th anniversary of the Burmese Women’s Union (BWU), as well as the 10th anniversary of its media outlet Honest Information (HI), was celebrated under the theme: “We dare, we challenge Patriarchy!” in Chiang Mai, Thailand on Jan. 7.

“We have trained and built the capacity of many of the young women [in Myanmar]. Because of this, after 30 years, BWU is still running strong,” said Tin Tin Nyo, a BWU board member.

BWU was formed on Jan. 7, 1995. It is a founding member of the Women’s League of Burma (WLB), an umbrella organization that includes women from all ethnic nationalities in Myanmar. Women in Myanmar have been at the forefront of the resistance to the 2021 military coup.

“[Myanmar women] never accept any sort of military rule. Instead, they would like to restore human rights, democracy and gender justice,” added Tin Tin Nyo. “Our revolution is not just a physical [one], it’s [also] an ideological revolution because our country is mainly controlled and influenced by the patriarchy.”