Thangyi Maung Zeya - A Journey of Change and Other Articles

From domestic peace to internal peace

2017 is the year of internal peace in Myanmar.

Because Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said

I'm giving my wife a break.

Welcoming domestic peace.

Amidst the sound of the washing machine whirring...

"Hey, man, come and dry the washed clothes."

Before I could decide whether it was an order or a request for help, I reached the woman doing the laundry. My heels together, my toes about four inches apart, my waist straight, my hands together, my chest arched, my buttocks tucked in, I stood in a state of alertness, ready to obey whatever the woman would tell me. I looked around and saw that the already washed T-shirts and women's underwear were in a black plastic tub. My clothes and underwear were in a blue tub. At this moment, my male pride rose to the top of my head. "I'm not the kind of guy who would do what a woman asks me to do." Before she could ask, I put the two laundry tubs on top of my head, my head was so soft. Let's go to the drying area.

"Man, what are you doing?" His voice was a little harsh.

"Don't let the clothes dry."

I think my voice has softened a little. I can't. If he dies, it's our duty as twenty-armed men to soften. Otherwise, they will fight over every word. They will fight and shout.

I will.

There will be domestic violence.

Domestic violence is

Psychological violence

Physical violence

Sexual violence

Violence according to traditional customs

Economic violence

It is said that the force can be determined by, etc.

Wars and international terrorism started from domestic violence. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said that 2017 was the year of internal peace in Burma.

Because of this, I gave in to my wife. In order to welcome domestic peace. I held the slogan that domestic peace is the path to domestic peace. In fact, no one asked me to shout this slogan. There was no poster posted anywhere. No one made a decision at any workshop. When I got to my wife, this slogan suddenly jumped out of my head in panic.

By the way, the gender we have learned is a social definition. It is related to time, region, climate, and ethnic customs. For example,

In Myanmar, about a hundred years ago, only men

They wore pants, and most women don't wear pants. Now it's not uncommon for women to wear pants. In the past, only men went to the office and went out to do business. Women stayed home to take care of the children and do laundry. This is called socialization. Now it has changed. Men go to the office and work outside, and men also do housework and take care of the children if necessary. This is a change. It can be changed. But the things that cannot be changed are childbirth, breastfeeding, and genitals. This cannot be changed is called sex. It is said that it is a biological determination.

Therefore, there should be no gender discrimination in laundry and cooking, and when it comes to clothing, men's clothing should not be considered superior and women's clothing inferior.

Just look, my wife washes men's clothes and women's clothes separately. She puts them in a separate bowl. You could call this gender segregation.

"Are you going to carry the big bowl of rice?"

“These things don’t matter. It’s because you’re gender-biased. It’s the same whether you’re wearing men’s or women’s clothing. If you’re doing something, try wearing gender glasses, woman.”

“Oh, what glasses? I’m so annoyed that I keep losing my glasses, so you’ve asked me to put on another pair of glasses. All you have to do now is leave the laundry basket, take your clothes basket, and dry them in front of the house, spread them out neatly, that’s all.”

In a gender course I took, men are automatically given positions in decision-making. For example, we should try to get women in positions like ward elders, presidents, and heads of households. I don't really agree with this statement. Because I have made a decision to obey women. I think we men should be given the right to make those decisions.

Now, I'm going to do whatever the woman tells me to do without compromising my decision-making power. A man is a man of strong determination. He doesn't take back what he's already spit out. He makes his words stand. Now, I'm going to dry all my clothes. What's wrong?

While I was drying clothes, he was taking a bath. Before he finished washing, it was my responsibility to warm up the rice and vegetables for him to eat. I don't know when I took on these responsibilities. These are the responsibilities he took on as a newlywed couple. He had repeatedly said that he would take on these responsibilities since we were dating. When he left work, these responsibilities fell on me. If I told him not to do it, he would be accused of being an economic abuser. If I told him to do it, women's rights activists would accuse him of forcing a woman to work. Conservatives would accuse him of allowing her to work because he wanted to live on his own. In fact, a single income is no longer enough in this modern world.

The economic violence I mentioned is that men do not allow women to go out and do business, they only manage the business, and those who can earn money often oppress those who cannot, according to the qualitative research and analysis conducted by the Gender Equality Network Myanmar. My wife does not commit domestic violence against me even though she has to go out and earn money. She only forces me to do the work of prostitution and to be beaten. If the work is not going well, she does commit violence against me.

The way to overcome this violence was to teach him to use Facebook after eating. When I finished washing the flowers, he fell asleep while using Facebook. As I watched him sleep, I remembered what the gender teacher and lawyer Daw Hla Hla Yi had said and was startled.

If the woman does not consent, she can be charged with rape, even if it is her husband. Section 376. The punishment can be life imprisonment or imprisonment for up to ten years. Aung Mae Lay Phu Bu Woo.

Well, anyway, in his final speech before stepping down as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, "I am proud that we have been able to appoint more women to senior positions at the UN than ever before."

I am also satisfied that I was able to give my wife space.

I have been able to take the first step towards peace within my home.

Ban Ki-moon, whose goal is to build world peace, doesn't think he's done just hanging clothes and washing dishes.

(I acknowledge that this article was written with my wife's permission.)