Sexual violence, misogyny, and liberal feminism. What’s next?
- Sexual Violence and Harassment
Here’s some recent examples and scenarios in which sexual violence and harassment is prevalent in Myanmar:
I’m not going to state that sexism is a western import because it is not but Western conservatism did influence many Burmese. Misogyny had always been prevalent in our history and the consistent use of purity culture. This manifests in our modern society with how easy it is for men to manipulate women into relationships or to “get revenge” through leaking AI sexual content on telegram channels or through contacting exes of the women. Recently, a very close friend of mine was threatened by a guy she refused to meet in person after only speaking with him for a few days. She was subjected to fake AI generated videos and having them leaked on channels as he threatened her and also indicated that he would find her house address and murder her. When her post gained traction on Facebook, so many women commented and shared that they had very similar experiences. It is now so common and easy in Myanmar for young men to share revenge porn or track down women they dislike for sexual gratification through hurting women’s bodily integrity.
In the current civil wars, and the Rohingya genocide (yes I acknowledge it as a Burmese), an overwhelming amount of wartime rape and sexual violence was used to “weaken” enemy forces. Gender plays an important role in war. For example, the military is very masculine and so is the idea that men protect the weak. Women are associated with children and those who are weakened or in need of protection. When rape or sexual violence is used in war, it is a strategic way to not only break the dignity and violate women of the group, it is also meant to destroy the identity of the men part of the group. It is a strategic way to destroy and destabilise entire societies. Furthermore, in wartime women often take service roles. This can be seen in cases where female PDF soldiers are also expected to use their sexuality to “boost morale” in certain cases (there have been reported rape cases online). Even women in normal police departments have undergone sexual violence for disobeying orders. War on either side uses sexual violence against women as a weapon.
We also need to address the legal system. In a Burmese group for Protection from Sexual Violence Against Women, and another group for virtual sexual violence, many women would anonymously submit their own experiences of being threatened with sexual violence or violence from men but the perpetrators get away with it with minor consequences. It’s not just the weakness of the law in Myanmar that enables perpetrators to get away with this, it’s the normalisation of sexual violence and harassment championed through our historical structures of men at the top and the idea of male “hpone” along with hundreds of years of Buddhism weaponised in a way that privileges certain people.
Lastly, there’s online games that are accessible for young children as early as 9 years old where a young school girl is subjected to torture through a variety of weapons and young Burmese men would openly post on their social media that it was sexually pleasurable to perform acts of violence in this game. With modern technology, and lack of parental guidance, so many young children are desensitised from violence in a time where they are constantly exposed to war, conflict, and fear.
- Over-reliance on mysticism, astrology, and religions instead of objective reality
A majority of Burmese society still operates on yadayar, astrology, and witchcraft. This has been the case since the era of the Kings and now even the military junta continuously believes in astrology. This tie to the spiritual aspect of Myanmar’s identity creates room for justifying treatment of women as the lesser solely based on some spiritual leader/service’s words. It fuels the cycle and prevents growth.
Furthermore, some Burmese Christians are also a huge problem with a majority of their connections to America or other Western nations, these “Christians” also bring back Christian Nationalist beliefs and heavily supports Trump and the right wing even though it had fucked us over multiple times. These people would sell Myanmar out if it meant they could get a chance to lick some white person’s boots. They would also sow hatred towards Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar, and create more division along with a push for transphobia, anti-feminism, and racism.
- Covid and the Coup ruined young men’s lives
During the pandemic, every young Burmese had their lives online and shortform content allowed exposure to Western, specifically American, culture and politics. The coup also threw many young people out of schools and a lot of their lives became uncertain. Young men became increasingly isolated and frustrated with their outlets being shut off and ignored. Then came the exposure to the American redpill content and blackpill content that a conservative society like Myanmar might identify with which further fuelled the growing sentiment of purity culture and that all men are owed sex. We have a male loneliness epidemic and incel culture in Myanmar as well. Nothing as violent as western school shooters but still wreaks harm through more virtual means.
- Western Feminism is a failure
Choice feminism and liberal feminism only works for rich white women. It will never work for Eastern nations or even women of lower classes or minorities in the West. When it rose, it was pioneered through pretty packaging by people like Taylor Swift who had no idea what feminism stood for. Many men across the world also have a misconception that feminism meant that men are lesser but that’s not true. Feminism is for all genders to experience equality and when feminism is pushed and promoted through capitalist lenses, it lacks meaning and operates under the same patriarchal systems. Feminism should be transnational and inclusive of cultures and respect towards other cultures. For some women in the West, maybe nude protests are empowering and maybe OnlyFans is empowering but it is not for women of other cultures. This contrast is so easily detectable in Myanmar where many young women who ended up doing sex work are getting exploited or doing so for the sake of survival. Once it begins, there’s rarely an escape.
- So what’s next? What do Burmese women do and what can we do as a country?