Family Life and Social Status of Myanmar Women (excerpted from "The Status of Myanmar Women")

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THE STATUS m MYANMAR WOMEN Ni Ni Myint

CONTENTS Page

Acknowledgement

1

Introduction

3

Education and Myanmar Women

7

Health Care and Myanmar Women

27

Myanmar Women in the Labour Force

37

Legal Status of Myanmar Women

54

Family Life and Social Status of Myanmar Women

62

Conclusion

68

Appendices

71

Bibliography

92

In the same way the mother - mi, takes precedence over the father - ba in the word for parents. In practical life, however, men are accorded the status of head of the family. With regard to folk wisdom, there are Myanmar that praise women as well as those that denigrate them. The Myanmar saying "kye' ma. tuan ywei. mo: ma. /inn " meaning " dawn does not break when a hen crows " suggest that women are ineffectual in crucial matters. But another saying yau'

kyarr go se tho mapyii nain ; mein: ma. go se tho ma. khan nain meaf!1ng "men cannot do it but by putting a woman on this job Family Life and Social Status of Myanmar Women

nothing can stand in her way" indicates the superior capabilities of women.

Myanmar tenns relating to the family, such as mi thar zu

On this subject Fielding- Hall comments:

(literally 'mother with a group of children') for" family", and mi ba.

hni' pa: ( literally ' mother and father , the two august personages ' )

Women are women and men are men. They differ a great deal in

for "parents" indicate a precedence given to women. The woman is

many ways, so a Burman would say; men are better in some

given precedence in the word for "family" since the mother bears

things, women are better in others; if they (women) have a

responsibility for the early care and upbringing of the children.

position, their relative superiority in certain things determine it. How else should it be determined?70

There is true in this because, men and women are different physically and socially. The status of women in Myanmar as different from those in neighbouring countries where women were traditionally suppressed.

Historically, there have been strong Indian cultural

influences in Myanmar but Myanmar acceptance of Indian culture has been selective and adaptative. Myanmar has rejected such things as the caste system, child marriage, the dowry system, the extended ?G.FicldingHall, 1911,p.169

The Status ofMyanmar Women

62

The Status ofMycmmar Women · 63

family system, purdah, child betrothal, wife immolation, and the

always tell her it is not necessary and I tell her to eat more. "A

abandonment of girl infants. In Myanmar baby girls are as welcome in

25 year old mother: "When there is a special dish priority is

the family as their male siblings. There might be only one exception.

given to children. "71

According to Buddhism the novitiation of one's own son is a great meritorious deed and for that reason every parent wants to have at

Traditionally it has been the custom for women to defer to men,

least one son. But that does not mean that daughters are not welcome

but this has not meant that the oppression of women has been

and parents prefer to have children of both sexes rather than only sons

advocated or tolerated in Myanmar society, generally women are

or daughters.

considered the weaker sex but are treated as equal to men.

Myanmar parents admonish their children with the adage "tha:

A point which needs to be discussed with regard to the status of

tha mii ma. kaun: mi. ha. gaun:" "Delinquent children are the burden

women is the idea of "hpoun" which means "glory", or spiritual aura.

that parents have to bear". Although both parents share responsibility

Spiro contends that only men possess and hpoun that no women

in this, the mother, who has more time together with the children has'

possesses it except Visakha, the famous disciple of the Buddha.72

the greater responsibility.

There are two points to be made against this contention. Firstly, it is

Athough women enjoy equal rights with men, wives usually

believed that women possess hpoun, although it may be less than that

defer to their husbands. This is express in the proverb "tha: go thakhin

of men. There is a Myanmar proverb which says "Men's hpoun exists

Jin go hpayarr" "A son is the lord while the husband is the god" The

in his anns while women's hpoun exists in her 'sadoun' (hair knot)" 73 •

following observations taken from " Myanmar Gender Profile 2000 ",

Secondly, the idea of hpoun has somewhat old fashioned today;

a field survey taken in the Kayin State corroborates this relationship:

people may talk about it but they do not take it seriously in their life anymore. Perhaps the one remaining exception is the prohibition of

A 53 year old grandmother: "When I cooked a special dish, I

women from entering the inner sanction of religious buildings.

gave priority to my husband. Now for a special dish, I give

Traditionally, parents have the responsibility of seeing their

priority to my eldest son. " A 33 year old mother: ''/ give the

children settled in marriage and the adage "thamii kaiiaakha ma/in. ze

best part of a choice dish to my husband and my children.

hnin " advises parents not to carry too long in marrying off their

However, my husband gives priority to the children and to me.

daughter when she comes age.

Only then will he take for himself." A 47 year old mother: ''.A choice dish is first served to my husband''. A 25 year old father: 71

"During meals my wife gives me priority in partaking food. I

The Status of Myanmar Women · 64

MGP, 2000, p.88 Spiro, Kinship and Mamage in Burma. p. 259 7l • Myanmasoyo (Myanmar Traditional Saying), 1996, pp. 188-189 72

•

•

The Stahls ofMyanmar Women · 65

However, a woman can decide independently on whether to get married or not.

There is no social discrimination against a woman

The same survey also shows that decision within the family are made mutually:

who status single, and the parents have a liberal view about their daughter's marriage. If the daughter prefers to stay single, she has the right to stay with her parents for life. Moreover, Myanmar women rarely marry again after being widowed or divorced, although remarry. According to statistics, in the age group 45-49, the number of women who remain unmarried or are divorced is about double that of men

Decision -making Within the Family Decision taken bv husband

7.5%

Decision taken bv wife Decision arrived at mutuallv No Reply

2% 83% 7.5%

Source: Result from Questionnaires

while the number of widows is triple that of widowers. In the age group 65-69, nearly half of all women are widowed, compared to only 19 percent for men.74 The custom of dowry does not exist in Myanmar society except in the Rakhine State. It is the bridegroom who gives wedding presents to the bride and bears the expense of the wedding including the bride's trousseau. After marriage, the wife does not take the name of her husband but retains her own. A survey conducted for this project provides the following information on the basis of marriage in Myanmar:

Basis of Marriage 6%

0% 0%

Personal choice

14

•

94% Source: Result from Questionnaires

Table-I, A Demogrnphic Perspective on Women, Tablc-61

The Status of Myanmar Wome11 · 66 The Status ofMyanmar Women · 67

Conclusion

satisfactory level and more needs to be done to raise the health awareness level of Myanmar women.

The foregoing chapters show that, traditionally, women's

In the economic sector, Myanmar women,

with better

education was through monastic education and that it had its

educational opportunities, have entered the workforce from the

limitations.

This underwent a change when Myanmar became a

primary to the tertiary levels, working in a variety of jobs together

British colony. Generally, as far as women were concerned, monastic

with men. However, they enjoy equal pay only in the state owned

education was replaced by the Christian missionary school system.

sector and suffer disabilities in the private sector. That a movement

Missionary schools provided women with greater opportunities for on

has not developed to raise the issue and demand an equality of rights

a modern curriculum formal schooling.

This foanal education of

may be due to Myanmar women being too unassuming and not

women beginning in the colonial period provided a basis for the

aggressive enough in the assertion of their rights. In the sphere of

further development of women's education when the Union of

trade buying and selling merchandise comes naturally to Myanmar

Myanmar emerged as an independent nation and this has continued

women and from small-scale itinerant vending and hawking to staffing

into the current period.

The greater opportunities provided by

and management of stores, boutiques and marts women are found in

education have enhanced the role of women in society and in national

plentiful numbers. Also in professions that place a premium on

life.

education such as medicine and teaching, women overwhelmingly In health care, Myanmar women traditionally went through a

outnumber men. The percentage of women in industry is also rising.

difficult time at childbirth being treated according to traditional

In monarchical times, Myanmar women were granted equal

remedies and practices. However in the colonial period, traditional

rights by the law. The Dhammathats although having such feature as

methods were gradually replaced by medical practices based on

the recognition of slavery, did not oppress women and endorsed

scientific methods. Also, an agency for the provision of maternal and

fairness. Although they were replaced by British administered law in

childcare was established in 1906. Myanmar women began to enter

the colonial period, womep did not lose their rights.

the profession of health workers and as nurses and midwives as well

Polygamy continuek to exist and in a way 1s given legal

as physicians administered to the needs of their fellow women.

cognizance by the recognition of the various wives as co-wives.

Although the conditions of childbirth have greatly improved, there is

Equality is however granted to women in the inheritance of parent's or

room for improvement in birth spacing and contraception measures.

husband's estate and the principle that women have equal rights as

Health education for women in rural areas has not yet reached a

men in inheritance has been spelt out in the Dhammathats and in the laws of today. Basic human rights are equally granted to women as to

The Status ofMyanmar Women : 68

The StatuJ of Myanmar Women : 69

men. Both the 1947 and the 1974 Constitutions embody their

APPENDICES

principle. Thus the rights of Myanmar women have been and are safeguarded in law by the Dhammathats, British administered law, the constitutions of Myanmar and by Myanmar Buddhist Customary Law. Precedence is given to the husband in the household but only as

Current Myanmar Women Organizations

1. Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association 2. Myanmar Women Entrepreneur's Association

a matter of custom and not forcibly imposed. Moreover although the

3. The Myanmar National Committee for Women's Affairs

husband is the formal head of the household, decisions affecting the

4. The Myanmar National Working Committee for Women's

family are largely made by consultation between husband and wife.

Affairs

Thus, men and women are on an equal footing within1he family. Men are aware that women are the weaker sex and eschew violence in their

Appendix 1

dealings. Moreover, since Buddhism which underpins Myanmar

The Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association

society reaches that husbands and wives have obligations towards

(MMCWA)

each other, Myanmar wives are ensured of equal rights in their domestic life.

The

Myanmar

Maternal

and

Child

Welfare

Association

(MMCWA), the country's largest non-governmental organization with branches and associations all over the country has been working closely with the Government to promote the health and well-being of mothers and children. Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association is a voluntary organization with the mission to serve mothers and children of Myanmar to enhance ~ r quality of life. It was officially formed on 9th November 1990. The Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association on its part is mobilizing communities to form Township and branch Associations including those from military units, factories, etc. to carry out its various activities. In March 1999, there were altogether 321 township associations with 5659 branches and in the year 2000, there were 321

Thi! Statw ofMyanmar Woml!n

70

Thi! Statw ofMyanmar Women · 71