Indigenous women’s voices matter. Indigenous women’s voices are powerful. In Northeast India and the Indo-Burma border regions, empowerment of Indigenous women has been guiding the region towards peace and stability for over a decade. Northeast India is home to one of the world’s longest running armed conflicts, where a former British colonial martial law, called the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and signed into law by the Union of India on September 11th, 1958, is in existence till today. The imposition of this law over the last 6 decades has led to the death of over 20,000 Indigenous peoples in the Northeast India state of Manipur alone.

On February 1st, 2021, across the Indo-Burma border in Myanmar, the military overthrew a democratically elected government in a coup d’etat which has since left Myanmar (Burma) in a state of violent conflict and turmoil. Fleeing conflict zones where fighting and arbitrary military murders remain a daily constant, many Burmese refugees arrive in Northeast India carrying the traumas of death, sexual violence, and displacement – the traumas of war. With 1.2 million refugees and asylum-seekers, and another 1.5 million Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs), Myanmar has the 6th largest global population of refugees in the world. The UNHCR reports that 49,600 displaced peoples, including at least 24 lawmakers of Myanmar’s National League for Democracy, have crossed the Indo-Burma border in the last 2 years. The vast majority of displaced peoples have crossed the Indo-Burma border without documentation. Many Burmese refugees do not have access to Identity Cards or the means to fulfil their most basic needs.

A growing humanitarian crisis has evolved over the past two years, and exacerbates the already dire circumstances people in Northeast India face under martial law. Many survivors lack basic necessities, such as food, shelter, and medical attention. Burmese refugees who have not received official Identity Cards are at risk of detention or being returned Myanmar.

The Global Alliance of Indigenous Peoples, Gender Justice and Peace works to undertake an Indigenous women-led initiative to support communities in Northeast India affected by wars, conflicts, refugees, displaced peoples, and survivors. We are currently carrying out the following tasks:

• 1. Critical Assesment of Need

Work to study the magnitude of the refugee and humanitarian crisis and the specific varied needs of survivors in Northeast India. We carry out research, writing, and analysis in collaboration with scholars, universities, communities, legal experts, media networks, etc.





• 2. Supporting Survivors

The Global Alliance works to ensure that survivors have access to resources they need. Our support structures for survivors include legal, medical, economic, and psychological support, among other identified community specific needs.





• 3. Socio-Economic Empowerment of Women

The socio-economic empowerment of Indigenous women survivors builds a foundation for healthy and peaceful societies. We provide livelihood support for survivors, such as looms and yarn for weaving, as well as other basic needs provided through an Emergency Assistance Fund.



*Weavers in Weaving Production Center in Manipur established by Manipur Women's Gun Survivors Network




• 4. Advocating for the Rights of Survivors

Our team and partners are also advocating for the rights of survivors at the local, regional and international level. Our work engages the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Commission on Status of Women, Human Rights Council, the various Treaty Bodies, among many other strategies to further the rights of survivors.