Empowerment Program
The Women’s Empowerment Program (WEP) seeks to challenge entrenched patriarchal misconceptions depicting women as inferior members of society. The program aims to increase gender equality in Shan communities affected by conflict, displacement and violence through responsive and effective women-led programming.
The program started in 1999 as in-house internship program for 2 young women from Shan State to build their capacity to run community-based programs. The Women’s Empowerment Program was formally set up by combining the Internship Program and a series of skills development workshops on women’s human rights after the first organizational review of SWAN in 2003.
Goal
To promote gender equality in Shan communities by strengthening women’s leadership capacity, resilience, awareness and active participation in community and political life.
Objectives
The Empowerment Program aims to address structural gender inequalities and expand women’s leadership roles in both private and public spheres. Specifically, the program seeks to:
- Build women’s leadership capacity through structured learning, skills development, and mentorship opportunities.
- Increase women’s confidence and decision-making power in households, communities, and public life.
- Strengthen awareness of gender equality, human rights, justice, and political issues among women and youth.
- Increase women’s representation and participation in community leadership, civic processes, and advocacy spaces.
- Promote community-level recognition and acceptance of women as leaders, organizers, and change-makers.
What We Do
- Women's Exchange
Objectives
Women’s Exchanges are the foundation level of the Women’s Empowerment Program (WEP) activities. These exchanges provide a space and time for women in the community to build confidence by joining together to share their experiences and stories of violence and other gender issues.
Background
From 1999, SWAN members regularly attended Women’s Exchanges in Chiang Mai, originally organized by Migrant Assistance Programme, currently known as MAP Foundation. In 2007, SWAN began running Women’s Exchanges in IDP camps along the border areas of the Thailand and Shan State in Burma. In 2011, SWAN began organising Women’s Exchanges inside Burma.
Women’s Exchanges, which are held over one day, are facilitated by focal points in Shan communities in Shan State, Kachin State and Sagaing Region. There are 30 – 35 Exchanges conducted every year with 15- 30 women attending each one.
- Youth Capacity Building
Objectives
The aim of Youth Capacity Building Workshops is to prevent violence against women by providing an attitude and behaviour change intervention targeting young men and women in Shan communities.
Background
The Youth Capacity Building Workshops began in 2018. They were adapted from the previous Women’s Capacity Building Workshops after communities requested the inclusion of young men.
The activity is facilitated by SWAN’s Women’s Empowerment Program team and focal points across a three-day period. There are 15 – 20 workshops conducted every year with 30 – 40 youth attending each workshop. The workshops are implemented in Shan communities in Shan State, Kachin State and Sagaing Region.
- Internship
Objectives
The internship program aims to provide young Shan women with the skills and practical workplace learning to be able to take on positions at SWAN and in civil society organizations and to advocate for change in their communities.
Background
SWAN started its internship activity in 1999 with an in-house program for 2 young women from Shan State. In 2003, SWAN extended Internship Program training 6 young women from Shan community for one year in Chiang Mai, and it was run continuously until 2009. From 2014, Taunggyi center has run the internship program. In total, 60 young Shan women successfully completed their internships in Chiang Mai or Taunggyi. After finishing their internship, some became SWAN staff and some worked with a range of other organizations.
2020
5 interns from Hsipaw, Monghsu, Tangyan in Shan State, Momauk in Kachin State and Homalin in Sagaing Region.
2018
September to December 2018 – 3 interns from Hsipaw in Shan State, Momauk and Mong Weing in Kachin State.
2017
September to December 2017 – 3 interns from Mong Nai and Namsang in Shan State, and Bamaw in Kachin State.
2016
September to December 2016 in Taunggyi – 3 interns from Hsipaw and Lawksawk in Shan State, and Bamaw in Kachin State.
April to June 2016 in Taunggyi – 3 interns from Loilem, Hsi Hseng and Mawkmai in Shan State
2015
May to July 2015 – 5 interns from Wan Hai, Mong Nai, Karli and Hsi Hseng in Shan State in Taunggyi, Shan State.
2014
October to December 2014 in Taunggyi – 3 interns from Khunhing, Taunggyi and Laikha in Shan State.
- Young Women's Leadership Training
Objectives
Young Women’s Leadership Training aims to strengthen the voice of young Shan women in Burma and train them for positions of leadership. The intention is to reach out and empower marginalized women and open up a dialogue about women’s rights and gender equality in remote Shan communities. This training is mainly for young marginalized women who have less opportunity to continue higher education, to enable them to access political and social training to step into a leadership role.
Background
In response to communities’ requests the first Young Women’s Leadership Training started in 2012 and was conducted as a residential program over an 8-month period. From 2012 to 2014 eighteen trainees from different parts of Shan State and Kachin State completed the training in SWAN’s Chiang Mai Office. In 2016, the first Young Women’s Leadership Training was implemented inside Burma over a period of 6 months.
2019
July to December 2019 – 13 young women aged between 18 and 23 from Mong Kung, Karli, Hsipaw, Kengtung and Loilem in Shan State, Bhamaw in Kachin State, and Tamu and Homalin in Sagaing Region.
2014
October 2013 to May 2014 – 10 young women from Kunhing, Laihka, Kengtung, Hsipaw in Shan State, Bamaw in Kachin State, Homalin and Khamti in Sagating Region.
2013
October 2012 to April 2013 – 8 young women from Lashio, Laikha and Hsipaw in Shan State, and Bamaw in Kachin State.
- Emerging Women’s Leadership Training
Objectives
Young Women’s Leadership Training aims to strengthen the voice of young Shan women in Burma and train them for positions of leadership. The intention is to reach out and empower marginalized women and open up a dialogue about women’s rights and gender equality in remote Shan communities. This training is mainly for young marginalized women who have less opportunity to continue higher education, to enable them to access political and social training to step into a leadership role.
Background
In response to communities’ requests the first Young Women’s Leadership Training started in 2012 and was conducted as a residential program over an 8-month period. From 2012 to 2014 eighteen trainees from different parts of Shan State and Kachin State completed the training in SWAN’s Chiang Mai Office. In 2016, the first Young Women’s Leadership Training was implemented inside Burma over a period of 6 months.
2019
July to December 2019 – 13 young women aged between 18 and 23 from Mong Kung, Karli, Hsipaw, Kengtung and Loilem in Shan State, Bhamaw in Kachin State, and Tamu and Homalin in Sagaing Region.
2014
October 2013 to May 2014 – 10 young women from Kunhing, Laihka, Kengtung, Hsipaw in Shan State, Bamaw in Kachin State, Homalin and Khamti in Sagating Region.
2013
October 2012 to April 2013 – 8 young women from Lashio, Laikha and Hsipaw in Shan State, and Bamaw in Kachin State.