Promoting women’s leadership, gender sensitivity & community ownership.
The Karen Women’s Organisation (KWO) is a leading indigenous women’s organization formed in 1949 working to ensure all communities have gender equality, the protection and promotion of indigenous people’s rights, human rights and justice.
ABOUT KWO
Equality
In a federal Burma, all communities have gender equality, the protection and promotion of indigenous people’s rights, human rights, and justice.
Empowerment
KWO is an ethnic women’s community-based organization that empowers women so they have capacity and power to solve their own problems and participate in decision-making that will affect their lives.
Freedom
KWO participates in the struggle to stop all kinds of oppression of women and of children and provides support for communities in the Thai-Burma border and in Karen State, Burma.
Our Programs
Organising & Information Sharing
KWO does a wide variety of information gathering and sharing, advocacy, women’s empowerment, and community mobilization.
Education
KWO provides schooling where there are gaps in existing education mainstream services in the refugee camps, and in areas in Karen State.
Social Welfare
KWO provides direct assistance to community members and works to solve social problems in the community.
Support KWO’s Sponsor A Teacher Campaign
We formed the Karen Women’s Organization to strengthen and serve our community. There were no Special Education services for our children. We could no longer watch our children languish in dark corners at home with their parents who had no support and little knowledge. So we built a Special Education project for ourselves. We trained a group of refugee women to work with our disabled
children and support their parents. We raised money. We changed lives.
Tragically, our financial support has been severely reduced as newer refugee
crises have pulled resources. We need your help to continue this vital program.
Our Work
60 000+
Members
4
Programs
500+
Trainings
20,000+
Beneficiaries
From the Blog
Latest Updates from KWO
- Message from KWO on the International Day of PeaceIn the lead up to the International Day of Peace, KWO recognizes the commitments made by women advocates and peace-builders in their community. At the national level, women continue to be under-represented. Their voices speak to change, resilience and much … Read more
- Naw K’nyaw speaks to Sydney Morning HeraldGeneral Secretary of KWO -Naw K'nyaw Paw- is featured in the Sydney Morning Herald highlighting the major decrease in funding to the refugee camps and the negative impact this is having on the mental health of those living there. The … Read more
- KWO ECD Project Seeks 2019 FundingWe are seeking funding in 2019-20 to continue our early childhood education project in 7 districts in Karen State including Ee Htu Hta IDP camp on the banks of the Salween River. The project provides support to 100 nursery schools. … Read more
