Women face shrinking employment opportunities in Myanmar, UNDP reports
DMG Newsroom
17 October 2026, Kyauktaw
Women in Myanmar face shrinking access to employment, formal education and vocational training compared with men, according to a statement released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
A UNDP report published on October 15 highlights that male employment across the country stands at 82 percent, while female employment is just 62 percent.
The UNDP noted that women continue to face declining access to education, technical training, paid employment, business ownership and leadership roles in their communities.
Local women say entrenched cultural norms deny them equal rights with men, leaving them marginalized in the job market.
“For heavy labour, such as plowing fields or carrying cargo, some employers refuse to hire women and recruit only men,” said Ma Moe Win, a Kyauktaw resident who works with an Arakanese civil society organization.
“Even when women are hired, they receive lower wages than men for the same work. In workplaces, men are automatically presumed to be leaders, while women are considered incapable of leading. Consequently, women working in organizations must repeatedly demonstrate their capabilities before their subordinates agree to cooperate,” she added.
In Myanmar, 42 percent of women have no independent income, compared with 23 percent of men, leaving women to shoulder unpaid domestic work and family caregiving responsibilities.
According to the UNDP report, nationwide conflict and forced displacement have severely eroded women's earning power while increasing their domestic caregiving responsibilities.
Women are increasingly required to care for children, older people and persons with disabilities, manage household food security and seek income at the same time.
“As a homemaker, I carry the burden of domestic duties for my children, my husband and the entire family,” said Daw Htay, a married woman from Mrauk-U. “At the same time, I have to seek income to cover basic household expenses. With prices skyrocketing nowadays, a single male income is no longer enough. Women are forced to balance domestic chores with income generation.”
The UNDP has provided agriculture-based livelihood support, reaching more than 151,000 women across rural and urban communities by the end of the third quarter of this year.
In addition, more than 3,100 women received technical and vocational skills training, while short term cash for work programmes provided income to more than 5,100 women.
To promote women's active participation in community life beyond skills development and income generation, the UNDP supported more than 6,400 women through local civil society groups.
The statement highlighted that these initiatives help women access livelihoods, technical skills and opportunities to make their voices heard in decision making.
The UNDP emphasized that women leading businesses need not only financial grants but also guaranteed access to markets, financial services, technical resources and production tools.
In Myanmar, where women sustain families and local communities, ensuring their rights, equal access to opportunities and participation in decision making is essential for national recovery and future peacebuilding, the UNDP stated.
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