Women on the frontline of anti-junta resistance

Female anti-junta protesters Esther Ze Naw and Ma Ei Thinzar Maung lead a rally to protest the military coup in Yangon last year. Despite the danger, women have been at the forefront of the protest movement, rebuking the generals who ousted a female civilian leader. (Photo: The New York Times)

One woman fled with her army officer husband who defected after the military coup of Feb 1, 2021, to Myanmar's borderlands. A mother prays for the safety of her son fighting the army with the People's Defence Forces (PDFs). An entrepreneur uses her business acumen to raise funds for the anti-military struggle while an activist helps women affected by conflict.

In a multitude of ways, Myanmar women from diverse backgrounds have filled various roles across different fronts of ongoing resistance to the military who seized power in this country with a population of more than 55 million people.