Learning feminism before knowing its name: Verse’s story from Myanmar

As a Burmese filmmaker shaped by her grandmother’s quiet defiance, Verse uses storytelling to challenge gender bias and uplift women whose voices are too often erased.

Verse began her professional journey in 2018 as a reporter at a local news agency in Myanmar. She dreamed of covering political news, but quickly encountered systemic gender bias. During a major assignment, male reporters were sent to Nay Pyi Taw to cover parliament-related matters, and she was told to stay behind.

She recalled the moment: “I was told women weren’t given those opportunities. I could not accept a workplace that denied my growth simply because I was a woman.”

She left journalism and joined a women’s rights organization, shifting her focus to human rights and feminist advocacy.

Before Verse ever stepped into a newsroom or picked up a camera, she grew up watching her grandmother quietly defy the rules of her time. A tough, respected Rakhine woman running a sawmill business, working daily among men, and refusing to bend to the gender norms imposed on her.