2017 Myanmars first female farmers forum reflections and findings for womens land governance

Land is the foundation of rural livelihoods for the majority of Myanmar’s population. Women play key roles in agricultural economies, however they also face numerous obstacles to control and manage the land they farm. Due to the current ongoing changes in Myanmar’s legal and political framework, it is a crucial moment to consider how women farmers’ important role in agriculture can be recognised and supported in laws and policies. This briefing paper puts forward the key issues facing female farmers, as highlighted by participants in Myanmar’s first Female Farmers’ Forum, and provides suggestions to policy-makers for building a more equitable national framework.