Dangerous Places, Safe Spaces
Last November, Karen Seabrooke of Inter Pares accompanied a group of four women from different parts of Canada to the Burma-Thailand border. The team was composed of Erin Graham from Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter (VRR), Rachel Gouin of POWER Camp National from Montreal, Donna Ashamock of MoCreebec in Moosonee, Northern Ontario, and Madeleine Dion Stout, long-time activist and aboriginal women's health advocate based in British Columbia. Coordinated by the Women's League of Burma and the Burma Relief Centre, they met with Burmese refugee women and their organizations. The following is an excerpt from Karen's report.
That we came all the way from Canada to listen to and share stories with Burmese women created an instant sense of solidarity. That the Burmese women would be so open in communicating their personal and collective struggles humbled us. That we came from such different places, and yet had so many things in common, inspired us all. Donna and Madeleine talked about the displacement of First Nations people in North America from their land, about being forced to live on reserves, about the erosion of language and culture, about racial discrimination and violence, about aboriginal women's poverty. The Burmese refugee women spoke of the war being waged on ethnic groups in Burma by the military junta, of being driven from their country and living in refugee camps on foreign soil, and of the cultural and religious obstacles to women's organizing. We shared stories about the need for safe spaces for women and children. And we talked about women's resistance and women's resilience, strategies for change, and ways of supporting each other.
"The women we met with, they're like us. I knew they would be brave and inspiring and funny and flawed and radiant. And they were. Just like me... just like us. These women are part of my world now, and they matter to me."
Erin Graham, Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter
If one theme dominated our discussions and created common ground it was male violence against women. All of us from Canada have worked or lived in contexts where this issue is part of our daily lives. So we were shocked but not surprised when we met to discuss Licence to Rape, the report released in May 2002 by the Shan Women's Action Network (SWAN) and the Shan Human Rights Foundation. The report documents incidents of rape and other forms of sexual violence against 625 girls and women in Shan State, committed by the Burmese military between 1996 and 2001. The rapes involved extreme brutality and torture, and one quarter resulted in death. The women told us that systematic rape has been a terror tactic for decades in the junta's violent counter-insurgency campaign against ethnic minorities. Refugee women's organizations have made a courageous attempt to break the silence, and to resist being further silenced. SWAN members and supporters have drawn attention to the report internationally, including at a conference on promoting democracy in Burma, held in October 2002 in Ottawa, organized by Canadian Friends of Burma with support from Inter Pares. SWAN and other ethnic women's organizations have established safe houses for Burmese women and children in Thailand. Erin related VRR's experiences in operating a woman's shelter and gaining and exercising influence in political processes. Rachel spoke about efforts to make visible the situation for girls and the importance of safe spaces that protect girls' security.
Left to right: Pippa Curwen, Rachel Gouin, Madeleine Dion Stout, Donna Ashamock, Karen Seabrooke, Erin Graham and Dr. Cynthia Maung.
As Rachel, Erin, Madeleine, Donna, and I left Thailand we knew we had been changed by our experiences. We knew more about the struggles of Burmese women. Our 'sense of place' was expanded and now includes the experience of Burmese women. We take strength from the Burmese women's strength. We know that the realities and struggles of women in Burma and Canada are linked. As Madeleine put it, "We are the same, a little bit different, and a little bit of each other, and we will find ways to work together over the miles."
For more information on Licence to Rape go to: 
www.shanwomen.org
Click here to read 'Darkness into Light,' a story told by a participant in the Canada-Burma Women's Exchange.
| Reviewed June 1, 2004 |  |
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