In the wake of the devastating March 2025 earthquake in Myanmar, the International Labour Organization (ILO) is equipping women with essential skills to earn incomes, rebuild livelihoods, and contribute to community recovery. Two training courses launched in late November 2025 in Southern Shan State—a two-week computer literacy course and a two-month advanced sewing techniques programme—enrolled 85 participants, most of whom were women, providing them with opportunities to engage in income-generating activities and strengthen their economic resilience.
These training initiatives complement the ILO’s Employment Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP), which supports post-earthquake recovery through labour-intensive activities, including infrastructure rehabilitation. While construction-focused recovery work has primarily attracted male participants, the ILO’s rapid assessment identified women’s economic priorities, highlighting a need for skills in hand-weaving, sewing, textile production, and basic computer literacy to expand access to broader employment opportunities.
Yutong Liu, ILO Liaison Officer for Myanmar, emphasized the significance of this initiative: “The ILO quickly launched an early recovery project in August 2025 in response to the earthquake. By promoting labour-intensive work, vocational training, social dialogue, and social protection at the community level, we have strengthened capacities that save lives, protect livelihoods, promote decent work, and enable recovery in the aftermath of earthquakes.”
Through these targeted vocational programmes, women in Mandalay and Southern Shan State are gaining the tools to rebuild their lives, contribute to local economies, and foster resilience in their communities.
