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| (7) Myanmar women in war-time
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| The Second World War came
to Myanmar like a tornado sweeping off all sense of security. With many people
the bottom just fell out. It was impossible to think what might happen the next
moment. People were dazed with disbelief.
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| Whatever political
changes the war, invasion and military occupation brought about in Myanmar, the
social upheaval was shattering. Just a short time ago any rank of white collar
workers, from clerks to officers in government and mercantile services were
regarded with respect; their jots were secure and even prestigious unlike those
of private traders.
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| With the coming of the w
ar and occupation, prewar status symbols lost their lustre. During the first
months of the war white collar workers trudged along the corridors of offices
with credentials in hand hoping for a job. Even as their meagre savings
dwindled away, trades-people with little formal education were well on their
way to be mini-millionaries-in inflated currency.
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| It was then that Myanmar
wom en with their traditional aptitude for trade began to do ninate the scene.
Even those who had so long lived on their husband's salaries began to show a
talent which they never thought they had.
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| Many women began selling
things they did not quite need like jewellery, crockery, pieces of furniture
for mere survival. Soon they found themselves selling not only their own things
but other people's as well. Even before they realized women found themselves
acting as agents or brokers, bringing together sellers. and buyers-a spare-time
activity with a fat commission to earn.
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| Even those who were not
talented enough to throw themselves into such business found some modest ways
of earning money. There are many varieties of pancakes made out of rice flour
and jaggery, and anyone with a basic knowledge of cookery could learn to make
any of those delicacies. Many women found it profitable to open a stall at home
and sell their concoctions, which sold like what they were-hot cakes!
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| Consequently the family
life pattern ofthose days ran something like this: the man of the family went
to office; the wife either went round on her commission agent's errands or sat
in her stall at home and sold pancakes or whatever snack she was good at
making.
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| What usually happened was
that the wife earned more from her home snack kiosk than her husband did at
office, since the salaries could no longer keep pace with the rocketing
inflation. The man's salary was only a fraction of the household expenditure.
The wives who were smart enough to be commission agents belonged to the super
tax level.
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| What might seem strange
to a non-Myanmar would be the way Myanmar men took the whole thing. No man had
the least tinge of resentment that his image might be defaced by the fact that
the whole family lived off his wife's earnings.
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| The men wore what their
wives bought for them, carried sumptuous lunch-boxes to office, something they
could not afford but for their wives' income. They made no attempt to keep the
situation secret and they treated the whole thing as a big joke. "The man of
the family goes to office to earn - not money, but the neighbour's respect!"
This became a popular epigram.
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| Nor did the women
complain. They went on 'cheerfully, because what they did was after the
tradition of the Four Great Ladies of the Buddhist parables "Look what Lady
Madi did; she went along with her exiled husband and went out daily to collect
fruits for xihim and children. This attitude also enhanced the man, as the one
who might be a Buddha one day!"
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| The war also opened out a
new horizon for women... namely, armed forces. Women played an important role
in the resistance movement. There were many unsung heroines who laid down their
lives for the country. Their courage, intelligence, and their willingness to do
their duty won the ungrudging respect and admiration of their male comrades.
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| Here, none too honourable
mention must be made of the feckless white collar women who had neither the
talent for trade and business, nor for concocting delicacies. She just wasted
away at her office desk to earn a month's salary which might equal a commission
agent's takings of one day. And she was spoiling her husband's image by being a
career woman.
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| But the post-war years
saw a different image of a career woman; this will be the subject of my next
article.
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