Burmese Women's Union

Women Empowerment and Resource Center, Churachanphu, India

The center in Churachanphu is opened in January 2007, targeting for the women who are working on weaving in Churachanphu. The women are welcomed to visit the center and stay for the weekend as to relax, and the center also assists them with empowering them by organizing discussion on various issues, help to build self-confidence, building friendship/ understanding and trust among the women and seeking for knowledge and information.

In the center, there are three full time staffs, coordinator, empowerment trainer and health based trainer. The center open the whole week.

Beginning of the establishment of the center, the staffs went around the weaving houses and factory to introduce about the works of the center and with the staffs. The center is reaching to 12 weaving factories and at the center; it has library service as well. From January to August, the center received 128 visitors both men and women.

The center also received guest from media and organization to observe the operation of the center and to exchange and seek information and perspective on Burma politics.

The center work has been much easy because of the library and people came to visit the center and get to know it activities from coming to rent the books. The staffs could help out with the problem occurred between the employers and the Burmese workers. The center provided accommodation to the women who were jobless and helped to look for the jobs, gave suggestion, and talk to women who are in depression. From health perspective, the staffs also help the women with family planning, provided contraception pills, injection etc… and other first aids assistant were also offered.

The center has organized the following discussion in 2007:

• On 21, January 2007, the center in Churachanphu organized a discussion on ‘Defining Human Rights’ which was facilitated by Ma Hnu Ni. 11 women and 4 men attended the discussion.
• On 28 of January 2007, the center organized a discussion on ‘Human Rights History’ and the discussion was facilitated by Ma Hnu Ni where 30 women and 6 men attended the discussion.
• On 18 of June 2007, the center held meeting to review and report about the operation of the centers and the staffs performance and 7 of the staffs and members attended the meeting.
• On the 28 of October 2007, the center organized a discussion on ‘Defining Sexual Harassment’ and the discussion was led by Ma Thi Dar Oo. 31 women attended the discussion and they have discussed the definition of the sexual harassment and explored the prevention techniques.
• On the 16 of September 2007, the center organized a discussion on ‘common diseases caused by the women’ and the discussion was facilitated by Dr. Aung Kyaw Oo. 23 women attended and the discussion took place at the BWU center.
• On 11 of November 2007, the center organized a discussion on ‘the infection of unclean water and aoG;vGefwkyfauG;’ and the discussion took place at the Chin Baptist Association, New Lamka, Churachandpur. The discussion was facilitated by Dr.Aung Kyaw Oo and discussed about preventions techniques just not curing when the disease encountered. In the discussion, 20 participants from health workers, 19 participants from pro-democracy group, 18 participants from Dinkar Weaving factory, 14 participants from ConPi Weaving factory and 16 participants from Myanmar Christian Fellowship Church.