Reports of violence against women and children rise in Arakan State this year

By DMG 28 Nov 2022

DMG Newsroom
28 November 2022, Sittwe

Reports of violence against women and children have increased in Arakan State when compared with last year, according to legal aid organisations and women’s activist groups.

There were 310 cases of violence against women and children reported in Arakan State in 2021, while 350 cases were recorded from January to October 2022, said Daw Mra Thuzar, a lawyer from Legal Clinic Myanmar’s Arakan State branch office in Sittwe.

“There are cases that have been opened, and cases that have not been opened. As of October, there were 350 cases of violence against women and children,” she told DMG.

Daw Mra Thuzar added that the reports include cases of psychological, physical, sexual and socio-economic violence against women and children.

She said these cases of violence remain under-reported due to multiple factors.

“Even if there is a problem because the political situation is insecure and there are no job opportunities, there are people who ask for advice online. People don’t want to file complaints in court due to the political situation in the country,” she explained.

More than 30 cases of violence against women have been reported to the Arakan Women’s Network.

“There is still a lot of discrimination against women. Discrimination against women can lead to both [non-domestic] violence and domestic violence. Women are more and more victims of violence,” said Daw Nyo Aye, chairwoman of the Arakan Women’s Network.

Among the violence that has been reported to the Arakan Women’s Network this year, there are cases of crimes committed up the level of murder, she added.