KHRG: 93% of 44 displaced Karen women interviewed report feeling insecure

Mizzima

Ninety-three percent of the 44 displaced women interviewed by the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) in southeastern Myanmar said they feel insecure, according to a new KHRG report, which found that junta attacks on displacement camps and travel restrictions have prevented many from fleeing to safer areas.

From January 2024 to January 2026, KHRG interviewed 51 internally displaced people — 44 women and 7 men — across seven districts administered by the Karen National Union (KNU). In May 2026, KHRG also interviewed three community-based organizations providing cross-border aid, and the report additionally draws on 37 field reports submitted to KHRG by community members in southeastern Myanmar during 2024 and 2025.

The 70-page report, titled “Struggling Amid Fear: The Experiences of Women Facing Compounded Challenges of Displacement and Insecurity in Southeast Myanmar,” documents both the rights violations driving displacement and the deprivations displaced people, particularly women, face as a result of displacement conditions, including hazardous living conditions, destroyed livelihoods, and a lack of access to essential healthcare.

The report says women are more vulnerable to gender discrimination in employment and to sexual and gender-based violence, and bear a disproportionate share of the consequences of these abuses.

“Villagers in Karen State have faced the hardships of displacement for decades, even before the military coup. However, women are disproportionately affected,” Saw Albert, KHRG’s Research and Advocacy Director, said in the release.

“Even while displaced, they are expected to manage all household duties and take on leadership roles to protect their communities. Additionally, they face a heightened risk of sexual violence by junta soldiers. Despite these hardships, our research shows that women demonstrate remarkable resilience and capability to overcome these challenges, and continue to play a pivotal role in resisting the military dictatorship,” he added.

The number of displaced people in southeastern Myanmar has surged since the 2021 coup. There are currently over 1.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region, according to the Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People (CIDKP).

Most respondents told KHRG they struggled to secure safe shelter, with many sleeping on bare ground in forests or caves with no overhead protection. Villagers often attempt to return home once immediate violence subsides, the report says, but are frequently forced into indefinite displacement as the military loots, destroys, and burns their villages, stripping them of food, belongings, and livelihoods.

Landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) make travel perilous, the report says, while rising crime exposes travelers — particularly women — to risks including robbery, kidnapping, and sexual violence.

Displaced women interviewed by KHRG also reported employment discrimination, saying employers generally prefer to hire men, and that women who are hired receive lower wages.

The report says the human rights violations committed by the military junta have caused mass displacement and a severe humanitarian crisis in southeastern Myanmar.