The gendered risks of resettlement : A case study from Upper Paunglaung dam in Myanmar

Abstract: This research investigates if the resettlement in the Upper Paunglaung dam affected men and women differently. The purpose is to identify gendered risks and show how the processes of the resettlement are different according to gender. To understand the results and analysis it includes a background chapter of women in Myanmar society. There are five aspects this research implies are crucial for a successful resettlement project which are information, compensation, economic impacts, social impacts and remedy. These five aspects are part of the process of being relocated. This allowed the research to explore each aspect in a descriptive manner and from a gendered perspective. It uses two reports from the case and a socio-economic survey with responses from 2013 and 2016. This allowed the research to see if there are patterns between the years. The findings show that women are excluded from information meetings regarding the resettlement, losing the female perspective when discussing compensation. Economic stress impacted the households differently depending on gender and social roles were jeopardized, creating stress and unease. Women face both labor work and domestic work while their husbands worked elsewhere and sent remittances. Remedy was not met with failure of delivering compensation packages. However, households found that the housing standards and religious buildings had improved. The research call attention to the exclusion of women in the resettlement projects and what risks they are more exploited to and why.