Women Take on Male-dominated Jobs in Myanmar as Men Hide From Military Conscription

Men in Padaung Township, located in Myanmar's western Bago Region, are increasingly staying home to avoid military conscription. As a result, women are stepping into traditionally male-dominated roles, such as driving and working as bus conductors, according to residents. The situation has intensified since junta chief Min Aung Hlaing assumed the presidency, accelerating the military's conscription campaign. With many men afraid to venture outside, women are shouldering a larger share of the local workforce. “Nowadays, it’s the young women who are going out and working, while families hide their sons at home because they’re terrified of the draft,” a Padaung resident explained. Women are increasingly working as conductors on minibuses operating in the township, with locals reporting an average of 4 female assistants per 10 buses. More women are also driving three-wheeled motorcycle taxis. “Even on the delivery trucks bringing 20-liter drinking water bottles house to house, it’s the women who are constantly jumping on and off to do the heavy lifting,” another resident noted. “In the past, parents worried primarily about their daughters. Now, we’ve reached a point where families hide their sons and send their daughters out to work.” When a young, able-bodied man is forcibly conscripted, his family must reportedly pay a bribe of between 15 million and 20 million Myanmar kyat (MMK) to secure his release. Authorities reportedly demand even higher sums if they believe the family is wealthy. The labor shift is also impacting older residents. “Before, it was hard for older people like me to find work,” a 60-year-old man said. “But now, even places that require physical strength, like rice and construction material shops, are happy to hire me. There are hardly any young men left in the labor market; most workers are now women. Men are just too scared to leave the house.” Forced conscription has become commonplace in the western Bago Region, an area that houses several of the junta’s Directorate of Defence Industries weapons factories. Residents of Padaung and nearby Okeshitpin also report hearing daily artillery explosions along the Bago Yoma mountain range. Locals say the deteriorating security situation, coupled with the mass exodus and hiding of young people, has severely damaged the local economy and undermined the community's social well-being.