
Promoting women’s leadership, gender sensitivity & community ownership.
The Karen Women’s Organisation (KWO) is a leading indigenous women’s organization formed in 1949 working to ensure all communities have gender equality, the protection and promotion of indigenous people’s rights, human rights and justice.
From the Blog
Latest Updates from KWO
- Speech from KWO Chairperson for Karen New YearThe KWO Chairperson speech for Karen New Year, celebrated on 13 January 2021. The Chairperson sends greetings of peace and unity to all with calls for the Karen spirit to be embraced through a love of our culture and traditionsContinue reading “Speech from KWO Chairperson for Karen New Year”
- The Karen Women’s Organization Stands with Mu Traw District’s Civilians Demanding Withdrawal of Burma Army Troops & Immediate End to FightingThe Karen Women’s Organization (KWO) fully supports the calls of Karen villagers demanding the withdrawal of the Burma Army and an end to road construction projects in their areas. The Burma Army has long threatened their overall safety and security.Continue reading “The Karen Women’s Organization Stands with Mu Traw District’s Civilians Demanding Withdrawal of Burma Army Troops & Immediate End to Fighting”
- KWO is Grateful for Sponsor A Teacher SupportThe Karen Women’s Organization is grateful for all the support we have received for our Sponsor a Teacher program. Every child is entitled to an education and to live as full a life as possible. Burmese refugee children with, orContinue reading “KWO is Grateful for Sponsor A Teacher Support”
Our Work
72,399
Members
4
Programs
500+
Trainings
35,000+
Beneficiaries
ABOUT KWO

Equality
In a federal Burma, all communities have gender equality, the protection and promotion of indigenous people’s rights, human rights, and justice.

Empowerment
KWO is an ethnic women’s community-based organization that empowers women so they have capacity and power to solve their own problems and participate in decision-making that will affect their lives.

Freedom
KWO participates in the struggle to stop all kinds of oppression of women and of children and provides support for communities in the Thai-Burma border and in Karen State, Burma.
Our Programs

Organising & Information Sharing
KWO does a wide variety of information gathering and sharing, advocacy, women’s empowerment, and community mobilization.

Education
KWO provides schooling where there are gaps in existing education mainstream services in the refugee camps, and in areas in Karen State.

Social Welfare
KWO provides direct assistance to community members and works to solve social problems in the community.
Support KWO’s Sponsor A Teacher Campaign
We formed the Karen Women’s Organization to strengthen and serve our community. There were no Special Education services for our children. We could no longer watch our children languish in dark corners at home with their parents who had no support and little knowledge. So we built a Special Education project for ourselves. We trained a group of refugee women to work with our disabled
children and support their parents. We raised money. We changed lives.
Tragically, our financial support has been severely reduced as newer refugee
crises have pulled resources. We need your help to continue this vital program.