Themes Role of Women in Society Focus on the role of women in society, government and politics to struggle for justice and peace in the world She

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1 Speech/ Speaker Aung San Suu Kyi Keynote Address to the Beijing World Conference on Women Date Beijing 31 August 1995 Context She lived through most turbulent times in Burmese History Her father was a martyr for Burmese freedom, having led the flight for independence from British Rule Following his murder, country was thrown into chaos, Burma being ruled under military dictatorship Suu Kyi was brought up as a believer in Buddhism, educated in a Catholic School She left for India in mid teens with her mother who was made the Burmese ambassador in India She then went to England, was educated at Oxford and remained in England with her husband and two children until 1988 when she was called back to Burma to care for her ailing mother who had suffered a stroke She returned to Burma to begin a great fight for Democracy and human rights Military leader was forced to resign in 1988 because of mass demonstrations against his dictatorship Suu Kyi sent a letter to the government demanding the end of the military rule and that democracy be instead in Burma Began publicly rallying for a democratic government September 1988, military re- established its control of the country with the new political party, State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) 1. banned any political gatherings 2. reaffirmed arrests and sentencing without trial and held corrupt parliamentary elections with the expectation that there would be no clear result Suu Kyi defined the military in becoming the General- Secretary of the National League of Democracy (NLD), which pursued a policy of non violent protests and civil disobedience advocating democracy and human rights December 1988 her mother passed away, and at her funeral in January Aung Sun vowed that as her mother and father had served the people of Burma, she would too until her death She continued to speak out against oppressive regime until in July when she was placed under house arrest without charge or trial Her husband arrived to find her on a 3 day hunger strike, demanding that she be sent to prison with students who had been arrested at her place. She ended her hunger strike when the SLORC promised protection for the arrested students Suu Kyi s activism continued- her party had a resounding victory winning 82% of the vote, but the SLORC military dictatorship refused to relinquish power, choosing to place greater restraints on her and any political opposition Awarded Nobel Peace Prize

2 SLORC released her after 6 years Described as Ghandian in her synergistic mixture of force and restraint Speech addressed issues relevant to women throughout the world, yet dripped with sarcastic references to the ruling of the SLORC Burmese continue to endure endless suffering, highlighted by, arbitrary arrest and rape and pillage, dire poverty, and Aids epidemic, malnutrition and malaria Summary Acknowledgment and celebration of role of women which can be transported into public sphere but there are obstacles Speech was made at an NGO conference on women titled, Women, Power and Change- Action for Equality, Development and Peace which parallelled the UN 4 th World Conference on Women in Beijing Simple and straightforward opening statement- explains why its video taped Not staunch feminist Trying to increase pressure on the undemocratic government in Burma On them her words have little effect as she continues to be harassed by SLORC as she tried to promote her activites for democracy Purpose To present an analytical overview of the global forces affecting the quality of life of the human community and the challenges these pose for everyone and for women in particular To liberate women around the world and help them to realise and fulfil their role in society as peacekeepers Global forces mentioned included approaches to governance, such as questions of citizenship and political participation, as well as looking at obstacles to peace and human security such as militarization, violence and poverty Addressed these issues which took on global significance and also targeted her domestic audience o Did this by criticising the governments failure to end their oppressive tactics used to maintain power o Criticised the government for denying that women too can play a part in bringing the necessary change and progress to their society Speech carried with it the international purpose of campaigning for the liberation of women, motivating women to achieve their full potential and unifying females throughout the world in the fight for equality Attempted to use speech to inspire hope that change is possible through non violent protest within Burma

3 Themes Role of Women in Society Focus on the role of women in society, government and politics to struggle for justice and peace in the world She strongly believes that this role should be centred on their traditional, biological qualities and their dedication to the nurturing, protecting and caring for the young and old These qualities imposed on women enable them to play an important role in inciting political and social change, provoking progress and helping to dissipate the darkness of intolerance and suffering Women play a large role in helping to achieve a peaceful life for all within the global community Traditionally given the responsibility of teaching children values that will guide them throughout their lives women have a privileged role as teachers and educators of tomorrow s generation Women are also good communicators allowing them to solve situations of conflict and deliver peace by non violent means Women, as intelligent human beings who have performed highly in our educational system and the management of commercial enterprises can contribute to the betterment of society by playing a greater role in business and in government In order for world to truly appreciate role of women they need to be given a political platform and a role in government to participate fully In the decisions and processes that shape their lives Tolerance Presents tolerance as the fundamental concept needed to establish democracy, peace and equal human rights By understanding the differences between people (race, religion, gender) many of the atrocities in the world including war and the discrimination present in her country could be prevented without tolerance, the foundations for democracy and respect for human rights cannot be strengthened, and the achievements of peace will remain exclusive speech conveys that tolerance isn t simply the absence of intolerance and insecurity but also incorporates the need to understand the point of views of others o suggests that women shouldn t just be tolerated but valued for their contribution to the world Techniques begins with an upbeat an encouraging intro Positive emotive words- wonderful, splendid, greatest 1. Helps to congratulate the women who have organised forum and begins on a positive tone Uses strong emotive language whenever discussing the role of women in society 1. strong and principled 2. emancipated..empowered women who with their wisdom and experience should struggle for justice and peace o Positive words are used to illustrate the vital contribution women can make to the world

4 Reduces the contribution of men using negative, emotive language 1. patronising behaviour or exploitation 2. patriarchal domination and degradation Uses sarcasm and irony when discussing war toys of grown men 1. reduces men to little boys whose childish games have fatal consequences for women and children Discrepancy between contribution of males and females is highlighted by a contrast of positive and negative connotations 1. compassion and self sacrifice, their courage and perseverance juxtaposed with the darkness of intolerance and hate, suffering and despair illustrates how important women are by presenting a bleak image of a world without them Religious allusions to appeal to the religious beliefs of her audience and to justify her opinions as being approved by god References to Buddhism and philosophies is effective in presenting mutual understanding and peace as a religious and spiritual aspiration we must strive towards Cultural references using her own background to present an understandable intelligent and humorous analogy 1. Burmese proverb- the dawn rises only when the rooster crows o metaphoric light women bring to the world to relieve the darkness of the night! By appealing to the audiences cultural and religious values she illustrates how women too can play a part in bringing change Broadens her opinions and own experience... in Burma to an international platform Global reference to the International Year of Tolerance Direct quote from UN who have recognised that tolerance, human rights, democracy and peace are closely related Provides political statistics to add credibility Similes 1. tender as mothers nursing their newly born 2. brave as lionesses defending their young o describing wife s dedication to husband! By evoking poetic and maternal images she illustrates how women should use their biological tendency to nurture loved ones to work for the good of their country and create peace Universal images similar to the clichés she uses- live and let live the other side of the coin Speech retains an inherent poetic quality- clichéd metaphor- women to mould their own destiny! Idealises the empowerment of women as being a timeless aim

5 Historical Reception Effect on contempora ry listener Rhetorical questions- But is this really a weakness? Could it not be in fact a strength? How much more could they not achieve? asks for the obvious truths Starts many sentences with conjunctions- But there, And in, And the.- creates a flow of ideas and dramatic pause Within Burma received with outrage and fear by government officials They saw her criticisms of a government that did not equally represent its entire people and allow for the participation of women in politics as a threat to their patriarchal power and system of government She had to be videotaped and then this tape had to be smuggled out- this signifies the general perception within the Burmese government that Suu Kyi had engaged in criminal activities by fighting against their oppressive nature Her seemingly dangerous and defiant message provoked the government to initiate a concentrated effort to limit her rebellious activities and restrict her freedom Within international community- international audience is able to appreciate the values of freedom, equality, democracy and peace which are of universal significance Reaffirmed her position as a global political activist Successfully brought more attention to the human rights problem in Burma and brought the plight of the Burmese people, especially women to international scale Burmese would have admired Suu Kyi Continues to be received Freedom fighter and martyr for human rights The democratic values she speaks of and her idealised vision for the future are inherent cultural values Positively received as passionate, poignant and poetic Since gender revolution the speeches portrayal of the empowerment of women guarantees its timeless appreciation Feminist Reading