“Many of us come to the centre carrying stress, sadness and many personal struggles. After coming here, we get to know one another, support each other, laugh freely and share what is in our hearts. These moments are priceless for us.”

SOUTHERN SHAN, Myanmar — For 25-year-old Moe Thida, who was displaced from Lashio, the Women and Girls Centre is more than a place to receive information or join activities. It is where silence began to loosen, where fear became easier to carry, and where she first felt she was not alone.

Before coming to the centre, Moe Thida said she rarely spoke up.

“I was quiet before. I did not dare to speak up, and I lacked confidence,” she said. “When I came to the centre and saw other women with experiences like mine, I realized I was not alone. That gave me confidence.”

Her first connection with the centre came through a simple encounter with centre staff at the night market. That meeting opened a pathway to a safe space supported by UNFPA and local partners, where women and girls affected by conflict and displacement can access information, psychosocial support, referrals, and services related to gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health, and mental health and psychosocial well-being.

Across Myanmar, humanitarian needs remain high in 2026. According to the 2026 Myanmar Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP), 16.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, including 8.4 million women and girls. Behind these figures are women and girls whose lives have been disrupted by conflict, displacement, economic hardship and reduced access to essential services. For many, the impact is physical, emotional and social.

“Most displaced people face difficulties with food, livelihoods and finding a safe place to stay,” Moe Thida said. “Women, in particular, are more affected. When we are forced to live away from our own homes and communities, in unfamiliar places, we also face discrimination.”

A centre where women can speak, learn and heal

Through UNFPA’s partners, Women and Girls Centres provide safe and accessible spaces where women and girls can receive information, psychosocial support, referrals and services related to gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and mental health and psychosocial support.

At the centre, women participate in awareness sessions, group discussions and activities that help them understand their rights, recognize different forms of violence, and know where and how to seek support safely.

“I really appreciate the health awareness sessions at the centre, including sexual and reproductive health information, discussions on gender-based violence, and activities that strengthen our emotional well-being,” Moe Thida said.

She said the sessions changed the way she sees what is happening around her.

“Before, I did not pay much attention to the violence and harassment happening to women around me,” she said. “Now, I notice these issues more clearly, and I have learned how to stand with women who are affected and help them seek support.”

For displaced women, the centre has become more than a service point. It is a place to pause, breathe and reconnect with others.

“Because of the conflict, women like us are affected both physically and emotionally,” Moe Thida said. “Many of us come to the centre carrying stress, sadness and many personal struggles. After coming here, we get to know one another, support each other, laugh freely and share what is in our hearts. These moments are priceless for us.”

Protection begins with information

Nyunt Yee, 37, said instability has made women’s lives more difficult and less secure, especially when information and services are hard to access.

“With the current instability, women face many challenges related to safety, livelihoods and access to knowledge and information,” she said. “These conditions can push women into situations where they are more exposed to gender-based violence.”

Through the centre, she learned more about gender-based violence, available support and the importance of women living with dignity.

“Through the centre, I learned more clearly about gender-based violence, how to connect with support services, and what women need to know in order to live with dignity,” she said. “For myself, for my daughter, and for the women and girls in my community, this knowledge is very important in building a future free from violence and a life where we can feel safe and secure.”

UNFPA-supported Women and Girls Centres and safe spaces across Myanmar served as critical entry points for gender-based violence prevention and response, enabling survivors to access case management, psychosocial support and referrals to health, legal and protection services. 

From confidence to community action

For Nang Ngwe Yi, a Women and Girls Centre officer, the impact of the centre can be seen in the way women change over time.

“The centre is a safe space for women and girls,” she said. “Women from nearby communities come to the centre, and displaced women also come here. We provide awareness sessions on gender-based violence, psychosocial support, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. For women who have experienced violence, we also support them through case management and referrals.”

She has seen women become more confident, more informed and more willing to support others.

“After coming to the centre, women have learned how to protect themselves. They have also become able to help others,” she said. “They are more aware of their rights, more confident, and emotionally stronger.”

Many women who come to the centre are market vendors, giving them strong networks in the community. This has helped accurate information spread beyond the centre itself.

“They are able to share information about the centre and pass on the knowledge they have gained to many others,” Nang Ngwe Yi said. “This helps build greater trust in the centre within the community and enables our activities to become more effective.”

This community-based approach reflects the broader role of local women-led organizations in Myanmar’s humanitarian response. 

A ray of hope for women and girls

For 21-year-old Thazin Oo, the women’s discussion groups at the centre have helped her support others in her community.

“The knowledge and information I gained from the women’s discussion groups at the centre have helped me support women in my community when they experience violence,” she said. “I now know how to connect them with the centre so they can receive effective help.”

“For women like us,” she added, “the presence of this centre is a ray of hope.”

For 17-year-old Thadar Moe Thant, the centre has also created space for learning and self-confidence.

“There is so much for young people like us to learn at the centre,” she said. “Because of the centre, I have come to believe that I can do things by myself, and my confidence has grown.”

Through handicraft sessions, she learned to make small flower bouquets — a skill she now uses in her daily life.

“Now, I can make small handmade artificial flower bouquets as gifts,” she said. “I can use this skill in my own life, and I can also make them for my friends on their birthdays.”

Changing one life can change a community

“When women first come to the centre, many of them are hesitant,” Nang Than Than Nyunt, Programme Director of Loi Kham Women Organisation said. “Later, they become more confident and more willing to speak.”

She recalled one woman, a single mother who had faced discrimination in her village. After joining the centre, the woman began participating in sessions, borrowing books and gradually rebuilding her confidence.

“Now, she is able to stand confidently in her village,” Nang Than Than Nyunt said. “People in her village no longer criticize her as they did before. They have come to trust her more. She has also become actively involved with our organization as a volunteer.”

Today, that woman is recognized as a leader in her community.

“She has helped change traditional views about women in her village, and she has inspired other women as well,” Nang Than Than Nyunt said. “She has not only changed her own life, but has also helped bring change to others in her community.”

Sustaining safe spaces through partnership

UNFPA’s humanitarian response in Myanmar focuses on integrated life-saving services, including sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence prevention and response, and mental health and psychosocial support. 

This is made possible through the support of UNFPA’s donors, including the Government of Japan, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the Central Emergency Response Fund, the EU Humanitarian Aid, France, and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

In Southern Shan, support from the Government of Japan is helping sustain safe spaces where women and girls can access information, psychosocial support, referrals and community-based protection through local partners.

For 53-year-old Khin Than Myint, the centre’s value is simple and deeply personal.

“For me, this centre is like a mother’s home,” she said. “It gives warmth and safety. It is a place that always stands firmly with women and girls.”

Moe Thida hopes the centre will continue — not only for women already reached, but for others still living with fear, isolation and uncertainty.

“For displaced women like us, this centre is a safe and peaceful place to rest and recover,” she said. “I hope it will continue and never stop. I also want women in other areas who are facing difficulties to have the same opportunity we have.”