Ta'ang Women Organization

The Ta'ang Women's Organization (TWO) was founded in October 2000 in Mae Sot, Thailand, under the name Palaung Women's Organization (PWO). It seeks a federal and democratic society with peace, equality and justice, and has set five objectives^[1].

It aims to remove the restrictions placed on women in various sectors because of gender discrimination under customs and traditions within Ta'ang society, and to achieve equality. It has four programmes: strengthening women's political capacity, ending violence against women, community development and humanitarian assistance, and news, documentation, research and information work.

TWO's objectives include preserving and promoting Ta'ang tradition and culture through producing and distributing traditional textiles, and its work includes a "revenue flow programme" that sells traditional textiles and other goods for the organization's funds, and teaching Ta'ang literature as a subject in capacity-building courses.

Because of political changes, in 2012 the organization moved inside the country to work more closely with the Ta'ang people. From its fifth conference onward, it changed its name from "association" to Ta'ang Women's Organization and has carried out its activities under that name.

To strengthen women's political capacity, since its founding it has run short courses on human rights and women's rights, three-month courses on basic politics and human rights, and ten-month women's leadership courses in 16 townships where most Ta'ang people live. To end violence against women in communities, it also holds awareness discussions, opens safe houses for survivors of violence, and forms village violence-reduction committees with local residents to reduce gender-based violence.

In February 2019, TWO held its seventh conference^[2] in Lashio, deciding to work together for ethnic self-determination and equality.

On January 16, 2023, it announced five services^[3] that women and children who have experienced violence can request from Ta'ang women.

After holding its ninth conference from February 10 to 12, 2023, in a liberated area of the Ta'ang region, the executive committee announced^[4] that it would work together with the revolutionary forces striving to uproot dictatorship and bring about federal democracy.

In 2/2023^[5], issued on October 14 to mark the organization's 23rd anniversary, TWO declared that it had taken part in many ways with the revolutionary forces that emerged in the Spring Revolution, and would fight for the flourishing of a federal system and for self-determination.

In March 2024, it took part in the Ta'ang Women's Forum, titled "Gender Equality Is Everyone's Responsibility".

From June 6 to 8, 2024, TWO took part as a leading organization in the Ta'ang Civil Society Organizations Seminar. The seminar was also attended by the Ta'ang Political Consultative Committee (TPCC), the Ta'ang Land Education Council (TLEC), the Ta'ang Environmental Watch Group (TEWG) and Ta'ang media. As a result, civil society organizations adopted^[6] common agreements for sector-based work in the Ta'ang region, network organizing and restructuring, positions and next steps. They also stated that the regrouped civil society organizations will not be under the influence of any armed organization but will be independent, free and fair organizations that prioritize living together with other ethnic groups.