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Karen Women’s Organisation (KWO)
Union Aid Abroad APHEDA has been in partnership with KWO for many years. Together we have trained hundreds of women in vocational education skills, women's rights and human rights providing them with knowledge and opportunities for the future.
A student shows of her flower arranging skills
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Founded in 1949, the Karen Women's Organisation (KWO) has a membership of over 30,000 women. The KWO is a community-based organisation that works in development and relief for Karen women in refugee camps and within Burma.
The objectives of the organisation have expanded over the years to move from solely focusing on social welfare, to encompass the promotion of women's rights. This is done by promoting awareness, as well as women's participation in the community decision making and political process. The objectives of the Karen Women's Organisation are to: assist women in the endeavour to be free from all forms of oppression; promote and empower women in all spheres of life, including education and general living standards; encourage women to participate in the struggle for freedom, democracy and equality; develop women's knowledge, ability and skills, including political and organisational skills; achieve the rights of women and equal status with men; and, promote and maintain Karen culture and traditions.
KWO aims to achieve these objectives through capacity building and education to better equip Karen women to achieve a better future for themselves.
The KWO seeks to empower women through leadership training and education. In the past year the organisation, with the support of Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA, has undertaken two training programs that focused on income generation skills, and management skills and human rights training.
The income generation skills training was based around cooking, nutrition and flower decorating in order improve women's capacity in these areas. The project's objectives were to: improve the skills of illiterate and other Karen women and expand their recipe knowledge so that they would have the opportunity to cook for others and earn an income; provide women with additional decorating and flower arranging skills to increase opportunities for income generation; encourage an exchange of skills and knowledge and to develop critical thinking among Karen refugee women; empower women in the camps by providing skills and knowledge that will build self-confidence and boost morale; and, to promote gender equality in refugee communities by increasing the participation of skilled and knowledgeable women in their communities. This project has allowed the women to earn a small income that contributes to the basic needs of their families. As a result of this project women have become more confident and active within their communities.
The management skills and human rights training project brought together 24 women to represent their refugee camps. The participants were trained in office skills, including computer skills and accounting, and human rights, so that they can find jobs as camp administrators or in local NGOs. This training has been vital in communities where there has been a significant drain on capacity, as skilled refugees have been resettled overseas (including Australia). Many of the young women who participate in this program go on to be employed in Camp management in various capacities.
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