Shan Women's Action Network
Encyclopedia
The Shan Women’s Action Network (: abbreviated SWAN), is a organization of Shan women active in Shan State
and Thailand
, working to attain gender equality and achieve justice for Shan women in the struggle for social and political change in Burma.
Through its affiliation with local, regional and international women's organizations, SWAN establishes common platforms to promote the role of women from Burma in the struggle for democracy and human rights in the country.
Set up on 28 March 1999 by a group of Shan women seeking to address the practical and strategic needs of Shan women, SWAN established the informal networks already in place between the various Shan women’s projects, therefore strengthening and supporting them. The network is also a founding member of the Women’s League of Burma (WLB), an umbrella organization
comprising twelve women’s groups from Burma.
The Shan women's network would also be able to coordinate with other women's organizations from Burma, as well as GOs and NGOs working with women locally, nationally and internationally.
Currently the network is engaged in several programs designed to improve the situations of many Shan women, in areas such as education, health, women’s empowerment, crisis support and income generation.
visited the White House to discuss the Burmese political situation with US president George W. Bush
, National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley and other senior US officials. "I am very happy ... to break the silence of what is happening to the people of Burma", she told reporters afterward. Congressman Tom Lantos
, co-founder of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, predicted that Charm Tong's 50 minutes with Bush "would reverberate around the world". The Irrawaddy
wrote in December of that year that lobbyists were attributing Bush's subsequent "outspokenness on Burma" to "the Charm Tong Effect".
For her work with SWAN in investigating and publicizing abuses against Shan women by the Burmese military, Charm Tong received the Marie Claire Women of the World Award in 2004 and The Reebok Human Rights Award in 2005.> She also received the 2007 Student Peace Prize
, which was awarded to her at the International Student Festival in Trondheim
. In 2008, she was given a Vital Voices
Global Leadership Award
in the area of human rights, which was presented to her by Laura Bush
.
Shan State
Shan State is a state of Burma . Shan State borders China to the north, Laos to the east, and Thailand to the south, and five administrative divisions of Burma in the west. Largest of the 14 administrative divisions by land area, Shan State covers 155,800 km², almost a quarter of the total...
and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, working to attain gender equality and achieve justice for Shan women in the struggle for social and political change in Burma.
Through its affiliation with local, regional and international women's organizations, SWAN establishes common platforms to promote the role of women from Burma in the struggle for democracy and human rights in the country.
Set up on 28 March 1999 by a group of Shan women seeking to address the practical and strategic needs of Shan women, SWAN established the informal networks already in place between the various Shan women’s projects, therefore strengthening and supporting them. The network is also a founding member of the Women’s League of Burma (WLB), an umbrella organization
Umbrella organization
An umbrella organization is an association of institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. In business, political, or other environments, one group, the umbrella organization, provides resources and often an identity to the smaller organizations...
comprising twelve women’s groups from Burma.
Objectives
The Network’s main objectives are:- To promote women’s rights and the rights of children.
- To oppose exploitation of and violence against women and children.
- To work together for peace and freedom.
- To empower women for a better life.
- To raise awareness of the importance of preserving natural resources and the environment.
The Shan women's network would also be able to coordinate with other women's organizations from Burma, as well as GOs and NGOs working with women locally, nationally and internationally.
Currently the network is engaged in several programs designed to improve the situations of many Shan women, in areas such as education, health, women’s empowerment, crisis support and income generation.
Recognition
On 31 October 2005, SWAN activist Charm TongCharm Tong
Charm Tong is a Shan teacher and human rights activist. She is head of the School for Shan State Nationalities Youth in Northern Thailand...
visited the White House to discuss the Burmese political situation with US president George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley and other senior US officials. "I am very happy ... to break the silence of what is happening to the people of Burma", she told reporters afterward. Congressman Tom Lantos
Tom Lantos
Thomas Peter "Tom" Lantos was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1981 until his death, representing the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and a portion of southwest San Francisco...
, co-founder of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, predicted that Charm Tong's 50 minutes with Bush "would reverberate around the world". The Irrawaddy
The Irrawaddy
This article is about a newsmagazine. For other uses of the term, please see Irrawaddy.For the Second World War battle honour, see Battle of Pokoku and Irrawaddy River operations...
wrote in December of that year that lobbyists were attributing Bush's subsequent "outspokenness on Burma" to "the Charm Tong Effect".
For her work with SWAN in investigating and publicizing abuses against Shan women by the Burmese military, Charm Tong received the Marie Claire Women of the World Award in 2004 and The Reebok Human Rights Award in 2005.> She also received the 2007 Student Peace Prize
Student Peace Prize
The Student Peace Prize is awarded biennially to a student or a student organization that has made a significant contribution to creating peace and promoting human rights...
, which was awarded to her at the International Student Festival in Trondheim
International Student Festival in Trondheim
ISFiT - The International Student Festival in Trondheim, Norway is the world's largest student festival with a thematic focus. Approximately 450 students from all over the world attend the festival...
. In 2008, she was given a Vital Voices
Vital Voices
Vital Voices Global Partnership is an international, non-profit, non-governmental organization that works with women leaders in the areas of economic empowerment, women's political participation, and human rights. The organization is headquartered in Washington, D.C..-History:The nonprofit Vital...
Global Leadership Award
Global Leadership Awards
The Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards honor international women leaders who are working in the fields of human rights, economic empowerment, or political reform. The event takes place annually in early spring at the John F...
in the area of human rights, which was presented to her by Laura Bush
Laura Bush
Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
.
Publications
- Dispelling the Myths
- A Mockery of Justice
- Licence to Rape
- Human Rights in Practice: A Guide to Assist Trafficked Women and Children
- Shan women at the hands of the Burmese military regime: A story of systematic rape
- Let the Salween flow
- Building gender equality on the Thai–Burma Border within Burma's exiled opposition movement