The Women’s League of Burma (WLB) was established in 1999 to work for women’s empowerment, advancement of women’s status, and increased participation by women from all spheres of Burmese society in the country’s democracy movement and the peace and national reconciliation process. The organization has documented and reported on the status of women and women human rights defenders in Burma. It also has advocated internationally with the United Nations and other organizations to improve the human rights situation in Burma, and it continues to call for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi.
While many of the women are exiled, all have made a commitment to return to Burma.
The WLB has been awarded a grant to continue its political empowerment program (PEP) training in order to train 14 women in core political skills for six months. The Albright Grant will be used to enable those women to return to their home communities in Burma and follow through on the action plans they will create in the training program. Each of the participants in the PEP program comes from a member organization of the WLB.
Winners of the Albright Grant, which was established in 2005, are selected from a competitive pool of applicants to receive $25,000 to support an initiative promoting women's participation in civic or political life. Past recipients of the Madeleine K. Albright Grant include the Indonesian Women’s Political Caucus (KPPI), the Mostar Women’s Citizen Initiative of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the 50/50 Group of Sierra Leone.
Watch No Women, No Peace, a documentary on the Women's League of Burma:
Pictured above: Supporters of the Women’s League of Burma demonstrate for the release of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
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Published Oct. 30, 2008
