Burma Women's Voices for Hope

Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Asia
South Eastern Asia
Myanmar

“Burma Women's Voices for Hope” is the sixth edition of the Women's Voices series. This book is a collection of stories and poems about the diverse experiences of women refugees, exiles and women activists from inside Burma.

The contributors, many of who are first time writers, have shared their experiences of conflict and human rights abuses under the Burma military regime. At the same time they speak with determination and hope of the type of future they envisage for Burma – a future of democracy, freedom and human rights for all.

Stories Include:

• “To Save Our People” & “In The Dam's Path” – stories by 2 Yintalai women, sharing their concerns about the future of the remaining 1,000 Yintalai people of Burma and their struggle to stop the Salween dam project that threatens to wash their communities away.
• “With My Own Two Eyes”- tells the story of a Karen woman activist's journeys inside Karen State to help raise human rights and environmental awareness among her people.
• “Speaking Out Can Make A Difference” and “Not the Lord of the Rings” - focus on the effects of sexual violence by the military regime, through the eyes of women responsible for documenting cases of sexual violence.
• “Why?” - is one of several stories exploring different situations of women migrant workers in Thailand.

“This new, sixth collection of, “Women's Voices” are the voices of women shouting out to the world for an audience. We must open our ears to these voices who courageously dare to speak out. We must open our hearts to the vision that these women tenaciously work for. We must act to support them, as they refuse to give up in the face of danger.” - Excerpt from Foreword by Ms Nursyahbani Katjasungkana - Indonesian parliamentarian and a well known feminist lawyer and activist.

Document PDF: 

Altsean-Burma, Burma Women's Voices for Hope, 2007