Vision: To establish a peaceful, justice, equal and liberated society in Burma.

Mission
1. To promote womens participation in our society. 2. To improve safety and development for women. 3. To reach gender equality and women's rights

Organization Background
Tavoyan Women's Union represents women of the Tavoyan minority ethnic group from the Tanintharyi division in southern Burma. Our mission is to establish a peaceful, justice, equal and liberated society in Burma. TWU works actively to promote women's participation in our society, to improve safety and education for women, to reach gender equality and women's rights. TWU has over 300 Tavoyan women members. TWU was established on the Thai-Burma border in 1995. We have been based in Thailand since 1998, with our current head office located in Mae Sot. TWU held its' first conference in May 5-9, 1998 in the Payaw Tavoyan. TWU has been a member of the Women's League of Burma (WLB) since 1999, when the WLB was first established. Since 1998, TWU has built the capacity of young women activists from 1988 uprising, individual local women activists, and young women from Tavoyan State. TWU has historically maintained the Tavoyan women's participation in the movement for peace and democracy in Burma, and will take responsibility for continuing this struggle through cooperation with various ethnic groups and international organizations. TWU has fully supported National League for Democracy (NLD) and the struggle for democracy for Burma. Email: twu48@yahoo.com

Tavoyan Womens Union TWU

P.O. Box 176
Mae Sot, Tak 63110 Thailand

Programs
1) Womens Capacity Building Program Womens Internship programs 2) Migrants Development Program Library Project Workers rights trainings Workshops and discussion. 3) Womens Political Empowerment Program Long and Short Trainings School for Young Women Internal Advocacy

Email: twu48@yahoo.com

4) Health Education Program HIV/AIDS Education Reproductive Health trainings Family Planning Teaching 5) Advanced Education Program Special course for Pre-University Train for GED course Train for scholarship Program

Tavoyan Culture

Burman languages. The Tavoyans insist it is a separate language. In the distant past, the Tavoy region was an autonomous entity under alternating Burman or Thai influence. Tavoyan are is closed to Thai border. Women across Burma have difficulty accessing their basic rights. Tavoyan girls are particularly vulnerable to trafficking and forced prostitution.

Tavoyan Tranditional Dancing Tavoyan culture is unique and special. Tavoyan traditional dance is known across Burma and has been practiced for hundreds of years. Tavoyan language is distinct from Burmese language and other ethnic languages. In addition, Tavoyan people have their own traditional dress, food, and ceremonies. The TWU plays an important role in preserving and promoting all aspects of Tavoyan culture, even among the exiled community in Thailand. The majority of Tavoyan people are fishermen and laborers who are unable to advance under the current system due to geographic isolation and lack of access to education. The military policies try to extinguish ethnic languages and culture. Also known as Myeik-Dawei, there are more than 1 200 000 Tavoyans, most in Myanmar, but some live also in Thailand and India. They are a people of mixed Burman, Karen, Thai and Malay background. Although related to the Burman majority of the Irrawaddy Delta, the Tavoyans consider themselves a separate nation, but it is not recognized by the military government of Myanmar. Officialy, the Tavoyans are considered a branch of the dominant Burman nation. Their dialects belong to the southern branch of the Burmish group of the Tibeto-

Background on Burma
Burma is currently under military rule. Since colonization, the government has favored the central areas and all of Burmas ethnic areas have suffered from underdevelopment and human rights abuses under military rule.

Girls are often denied access to education and instead are encouraged to stay home and become wives. In most families and communities, women are not able to participate in political decisions. Low economic development has forced many Tavoyan men into migrant laborers. Rates of HIV/AIDS in this population are high, and women have particularly high rates of infection. For more information please visit to: www.womenofburma.org