Aye Lei Tun

Aye Lei Tun from Mandalay holds a Master’s Degree in Development Practice from the University of Queensland and Gender, Human Rights and Conflict Studies from the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague. She enrolled in the PhD program in Political Science at McMaster University, Canada in 2021. She has a background in journalism with local newspapers, and media and communications (for UNODC, UNDP and Oxfam). She is currently working as a Research Consultant for Gender and Media related studies. Aye Lei is a published author - under the pen names Myat Shu, Thawda Thit and Thawda Aye Lei. Her research interest areas are the issues related to Gender and Sexualities; Gender and Politics; Media; and Cultural studies.

Education:

Jun, 2002 - Mar, 2005 - B.A (French), University of Foreign Languages, Mandalay, Myanmar

Mar, 2014 - Dec, 2015 - Master of Development Practice (Adv), University of Queensland, Australia

Sept, 2015 - Dec, 2016 - Master of Human Rights, Gender and Conflict Studies (Social Justice Perspective), International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Hague, Netherlands

Sept, 2021 - to date - Ph.D. candidate in Political Science (Comparative Politics), McMaster University, Canada

Training Experience:

Aug - Oct, 2007 - Journalism Training Course arranged by Myanmar Consolidated Media Co., Ltd and Sasakawa Peace Foundation

Jan- Sept, 2008 - Conflict Transformation and Peace Building Training Course arranged by Shalom Foundation and Action Asia Organization, Cambodia

Feb, 2009 - Monitoring and Evaluation Training, UNDP

Jun, 2009 - Human Security Training, Mahidol University, Thailand

Jul, 2009 - Community Based Disaster Risk Management Training organized by UNDP

Sept, 2009 - Human Rights Training, Chonam University, Gwangju, South Korea

Jan, 2010 - Communications & Media Training organized by Oxfam, Bangkok

Mar, 2010 - Research Training organized by Oxfam, Bangkok

Jun, 2010 - Advocacy Training organized by Oxfam, Cambodia

Aug - Nov, 2011 - Social Entrepreneurship Training by Myanmar Egress

Jan, 2012 - Women Empowerment Program, Ewha University, Seoul, South Korea

Oct – Nov, 2017 - Violence against Women and Children Training, MASHAV, Israel

Awards:

Sept, 2012 - Australia Award, Australian Development Scholarships, given by the Australian Government

July, 2015 - NFP Fellowship Award, given by the Government of the Netherlands

Mar, 2021 - A Graduate Scholarship from McMaster University, Canada

Oct, 2021 - UBC-IDRC Award, The University of British Columbia, Canada Professional

May, 2022 -The 2022 Global Scholar-in-Community Fellowship, awarded by McMaster University

Professional Experience:

1. Senior Program Manager (Livelihoods & Gender), Mar 2017 to 2021, Enlightened Myanmar Research Foundation (EMReF)

2. Steering Committee Member of Association of Myanmar Disabled Women’s Affairs since 2015

3. Trainer for Gender Introduction Trainings for different organizations (2015 to date)

4. Research Consultant for “Gender Engagement in Wildlife Conservation” study with WCS Organization

5. Executive Editor, The Light of Mandalay Weekly Newspaper, 2009 – 2013, Myanmar

6. Research Supervisor (as a freelance for interesting projects), 2012 - 2013, Enlightened Myanmar Research Foundation

7. Communications Officer, 2012 - 2013, Food Security Working Group, Myanmar

8. Editor, 2011 - 2012, Express Times Journal, Myanmar

9. Communications Officer, 2009 - 2011, Oxfam, Myanmar

10. Communications and Reporting Officer, 2008 - 2009, UNDP, Myanmar

11. Information and Publication Officer, 2007 - 2008, UNODC, Myanmar

12. Senior Reporter, 2005 - 2007, The Myanmar Times Journal, Myanmar

Research Experience:

“Women’s Participation in Public Life and Decision-Making Process Research”, with Oxfam (2011), as a Researcher
“Institutional and Leadership Analysis”, with Myanmar Development Research Team (2012), as a Research Supervisor
“Sustainable Economy and Political Parties in Myanmar”, with Myanmar Development Research Team (2013), as a Research Supervisor
“Gender Representation for Development in Myanmar Media (2010-2014)”, University of Queensland (2015), as a Researcher with self-funding (***This paper was published in Journal of Southeast Asia Studies in Nov 2016)
“Experiences and Expectations of Interpersonal Relationships: Women with Impairment in Myanmar”, as a Researcher with International Institute of Social Studies, and Association of Myanmar Disabled Women’s Affairs (2016)
“Gender Engagement in Wildlife Conservation” report (2017), as a Consultant with Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
A Baseline Survey of Yangon’s Garment Sector Workforce (2017), as a Research Programme Manager with C&A foundation
Assessment on Environmental and Social Impact Framework (2017) as a Research Programme Manager, funded by the World Bank
Audience Study (2018), as a Research Programme Manager, funded by International Media Support
Feminism in Myanmar (2018), funded by FES
Gender’s perspective in Myanmar’s Film Industry (2018), funded by EMReF
Women’s participation in politics in Myanmar (2018-2020), funded by IDRC
Border Lives: Kachin-China Border (2019) funded by DFID
Future of Work (Women and Industrial Revolution 4.0), funded by FES in 2019
Gender and Media in Myanmar (2019-2020), funded by UNESCO-SWAN
Global Media Monitoring Project (2020), funded by International Media Support
Gender Equality, Peace and Security in a Covid-19 World (2020), funded by Action Aid
Covid-19 and Migration Study (2020), funded by Paung Si Facility
Ethnic Media Study (2020) as a Lead Researcher, funded by International Media Support
The Impact of COVID-19 on Ethnic Minority Women in Myanmar’s Conflict Zones (2021), funded by UBC-IDR
Peace and prospects of federalism for Chin community in Myanmar (2023), funded by McMaster’s Community Research Grant
Women’s agency in armed struggles in Myanmar Spring Revolution (2023), self-funded

Conference:

1. Country Study: Gendering in Garment Factories in Myanmar, Experiences of Women in Economic Development, at the ASEAN Economic Integration Forum 2017, organized by UNESCAP

2. Sexual Harassment at Workplace in Myanmar, Panel Discussion at the Conference organized by Australia-Myanmar Institute (AMI) in Yangon Conference, November 2017.

3. Baseline Study about Workforce in Yangon’s Garment Sector, Panel Discussion organized by C&A foundation and Enlightened Myanmar Research Foundation (EMReF), December 2017

4. Women’s rights to citizenship documentation, paper submitted to ANU in March 2019

5. “Needs and opportunities to advance research capacity in developing countries through gender equality interventions” at 16^th Gender Summit, as a speaker, in August 2019

6. Canadian Council for Southeast Asian Studies conference organized by IDRC-UBC, paper submitted in October 2021

7. Myanmar Updates Conference organized by the Australian National University (ANU), as a speaker, in July 2023

List of own publications:

As a Researcher

- “Gender Representation for Development in Myanmar Media (2010-2014)”, University of Queensland (2015), as a Researcher (***This paper was published in Journal of Southeast Asia Studies in Nov, 2016) https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/43966/e13_3_Tun_GenderRepresentation.pdf

- “Experiences and Expectations of Interpersonal Relationships: Women with Impairment in Myanmar”, as a Researcher with International Institute of Social Studies, and Association of Myanmar Disabled Women’s Affairs (2016)

- “Gender Engagement in Wildlife Conservation” report (2017), as a Consultant with Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)

- A Baseline Survey of Yangon’s Garment Sector Workforce (2017), as a Research Programme Manager with C&A foundation

https://www.emref.org/sites/emref.org/files/publication-docs/ygfdigital_version_eng-ca_report.pdf

https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/DA9-04--Myanmar-country-study--Aye-Lei-Tun.pdf

- Feminism in Myanmar (2018), as a main author, funded by FES

https://www.emref.org/sites/emref.org/files/publication-docs/feminism_in_myanmar.pdf

- Gender’s perspective in Myanmar’s Film Industry (2018), as a main author funded, by EMReF

https://www.emref.org/sites/emref.org/files/publication-docs/film_and_gender_study_book_eng_online.pdf

- Border Lives: Kachin-China Border (2019) funded by DFID

https://www.emref.org/sites/emref.org/files/publication-docs/border-lives-the-kachin-china-borer.pdf

- Party Building and Candidate Selection – Intraparty Politics and Promoting Gender Equality in Myanmar, as a co-author, funded by IDRC

https://www.emref.org/sites/emref.org/files/publication-docs/party_building_and_candidate_selection_intraparty_politics_and_promoting_gender_equality_in_myanmar_emref.pdf

- Future of Work (Women and Industrial Revolution 4.0), as a main author, funded by FES in 2019

- Gender and Media in Myanmar (2019-2020), as a main author, funded by UNESCO-SWAN

- Ethnic Media Study (2020), as a main author, funded by IMS https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348578635_Ethnic_media_study_media_habits_and_media_representations_of_ethnic_minorities_in_Myanmar

- Women’s Right to Citizenship Documentation (Sept 2020) published in Tea Circle , as an author https://teacircleoxford.com/politics/womens-right-to-citizenship-documentation/

- Peace and Prospects of Federalism for the Chin Community in Myanmar (Jan 2023), funded by McMaster University

- Deconstructing and Reinforcing Gender Norms and Cultural Taboos in Myanmar’s Spring Revolution, published in Vol (27), June 2023, Journal of Burma Studies

As a Novelist

Published “Silky Moon-shade” novel in May 2017 (Pen Name: Thawda Aye Lei)
Published “Will smile tomorrow” novel in July 2018 (Pen Name: Thawda Aye Lei)
Published “The river left behind” novel in May 2019 (Pen Name: Thawda Aye Lei)
Collection of three short stories book “Borderless cloud” in May 2019 (Pen Name: Thawda Aye Lei)
Published “80 percent chance of rain” novel in July 2020 (Pen Name: Thawda Aye Lei)
Published 20 short stories (fiction) in local magazines, and 60 articles about gender-related and cultural issues in the local newspapers and magazines since 2005
Participation in the International Writing Program from September – November 2019 in Iowa, US.

Translation Service:

Chin Comprehensive Plan Vol 1, 2015 published by MIID (from English to Myanmar)
Chin Comprehensive Plan Vol 2, 2015 published by MIID (from English to Myanmar)
Monitoring River Health for Improved Community Livelihoods, 2015 published by MIID (from English to Myanmar)
The Women Are Ready: An Opportunity to Transform Peace in Myanmar (PSF Summary Paper No 1) and Infographic, 2016 published by Peace Security Fund (from English to Myanmar)
Women’s Human Rights (Human Rights in Southeast Asia: An Undergraduate Textbook), 2017 published by SHAPE-SEA Secretariat, Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University, Thailand
Children’s Rights (Human Rights in Southeast Asia: An Undergraduate Textbook), 2017 published by SHAPE-SEA Secretariat, Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University, Thailand
Sex and Gender Diversity (Human Rights in Southeast Asia: An Undergraduate Textbook), 2017 published by SHAPE-SEA Secretariat, Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University, Thailand (from English to Myanmar)

References: Available upon request