What Are The Characteristics Of Women From Myanmar?

The importance of family structures is pervasive in many South Asian countries, and this is no exception when dating women from Myanmar. Indeed, in many cases, women from Myanmar will hold a powerful bond with family members, which will irrefutably influence how they live their lives (and how they expect you to behave around their family, too). Indeed, women from Myanmar hold great importance in the family structure, and she will likely expect you to be equally welcoming and open to meeting new family members. As such, if your Myanmar partner invites you to meet her family, try to be gracious regarding the invitation and do your best, where possible, to put a good foot forward. You may one day end up spending a lot of time with her close and extended family. Generally speaking, the basic household structure within Myanmar is formed by a nuclear family household; however, your partner’s concept of family will likely extend to include people several generations removed as well. There may be many people to get to know, and it’s commonly expected for family members to help out other family members wherever possible.

As a demonstration of the broad social structures in Myanmar, children born to Burmese women and men are generally welcomed into the society by all local families during a naming ceremony at a month old. At this time, the baby is blessed during a dedicated ceremony. Those in attendance – family members and guests alike – then drop silver coins to wish the baby luck. Along this line of thought, the average number of children per woman in Myanmar is around 2.12, representing a relatively significant drop compared to previous generations. Interestingly, compared to Laos and Cambodia, Myanmar saw a sharp decline in fertility rates much earlier, which tended to level off more quickly. This earlier change, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s, may be due to the relatively progressive nature of Burmese households and Burmese women’s lifestyles. In the current day, this drop has stabilized much more but is still showing a trend toward falling slowly; the average decline in fertility rate for women in Myanmar over the last few years has been roughly stable at approximately 0.9%.

The age of first marriage in Myanmar, compared to many other Southeast Asian countries, is generally slightly higher than the norm, and this is well worth keeping in mind. However, the level of child marriage is still relatively high, with estimates suggesting that around 2% of children are married by the time they are 15 years old. Meanwhile, approximately sixteen out of every hundred children are married by the age of 18. As a result, there is still some way to combat child marriage in the country. That said, the average divorce rate for women in Myanmar is only around 3%. As such, if you are looking for a partner to form a long-term relationship, Myanmar could be an excellent option to consider.

Due to the long-standing presence of British influence in Myanmar, it’s unsurprising that the Burmese education system has several similarities to the British system. However, the Burmese education system is still quite a long way away from the British system; notably, though education is compulsory for all students and young children in Myanmar, this only lasts until the end of elementary school at around the age of nine years. However, in contrast, the international standard for compulsory education for students is 15 to 16 years of age. As such, there’s still a long way to the state of education in Myanmar, and the current literacy level indicates this. Indeed, with an average literacy rate of only around 89.5%, there’s a long way to go. Unfortunately, there is also a substantial disparity between the literacy rates for women and men in Myanmar. While the literacy rate for men is higher at approximately 92.6%, female literacy rates fall to just 86.9%, indicating a significant educational inequality between the genders. This may result from some young women getting married at an early age and leaving education sooner.

Interestingly, the level of total enrolment in education is relatively high across all areas. Primary education accounts for around 4.7 million students. This figure jumps to about 6.2 million students attending secondary education (despite not being compulsory) and about 4.83 million attending post-secondary education. Unfortunately, a significant amount of Myanmar’s educational investment goes into primary education alone, achieving almost 97% of its total expected investment. However, secondary education drops sharply to just over 70%, showing that there is still a lot more investment in middle and higher education. During secondary education, students who choose to attend are given the option to choose between two fields of specialty: the arts or sciences. While all students will study Myanmar, English, and Maths, their further studies are defined by their chosen educational route. After that, for any students intending to attend higher education in Myanmar, which the Ministry of Education predominantly covers. Though the current quality of education in Myanmar is lacking, the government is actively attempting to invest in new equipment and facilities for Burmese higher education. In addition, there are plenty of courses available for learners. However, most focus is on textbook learning instead of research.

Traditionally, employment opportunities outside of education were numerous for graduating students in Myanmar, and both Burmese women and men currently participate in the workforce. Unfortunately, the unemployment rate for Burmese women and men has increased sharply over the last few years to around 2.17%, a sharp increase compared to pre-pandemic unemployment rates of about half a percent. Furthermore, Myanmar’s employment system has traditionally been effective in increasing the number of jobs available; annual drops in unemployment were common pre-pandemic. The average salary for Burmese women and men is approximately 550,000 MMK monthly, or around 6 million MMK annually; unfortunately, this only equates to an income of about £2,500 per year for most workers. If you are considering moving to Myanmar, it’s worth brushing up on your money-saving skills to ensure you don’t face financial difficulties.

Religion is vital in Burmese culture, which is common in many Southeast Asian countries. And closely in line with this, the country’s official and predominant religion is Buddhism. However, the level of Buddhism in Myanmar is slightly lower than in some other countries in the area, with other minority religions beginning to take a more excellent hold over the country’s religion accordingly. With this thought in mind, when dating stunning Burmese women, we strongly recommend keeping an open mind regarding religion. While there is generally a good chance she will follow the Buddhist faith, this is not guaranteed. It is also worth considering your religion since the level of religious discrimination in Myanmar is relatively high. And, though Myanmar is technically a country offering freedom of religion, the reality is often more complex than this. Many people have fled the country to neighboring regions such as Bangladesh to find new opportunities with less religious persecution overall. This can be incredibly uncomfortable for many to experience (primarily once you’ve already found your dream new partner in the country). Therefore, if you follow a minority religion, it’s crucial to consider how you will handle such scenarios.

Religion is strongly focused on Burmese culture since the country has been strongly shaped by its religion over the centuries. Buddhism, for example, first arrived in Myanmar at some point during the third century, and the faith would quickly go on to establish a firm hold over the region. Notably, it is believed that the religion was first brought to Myanmar by Southern Indian Kings and Lower Myanmar’s early Mon people. However, a significant shift occurred in the country’s religious protocols in the 11th century, around eight hundred years after Buddhism was first introduced to the country; Anawrahta, a Bagan king, introduced the concept of Theravada Buddhism. He actively drove out Ari Buddhists; simultaneously, by incorporating traditional Burmese nats into his new form of Theravada Buddhism, he could quickly and efficiently convert much of the country to his new focus.

However, although Buddhism is the major religion in Myanmar, it’s clear that the faith has been falling out of favor in recent years. Official statistics indicate that, since 1973, the population of Buddhists in Myanmar has fallen by almost 1%, with Christianity and Islam taking most of the converted. In addition, tribal religions have also fallen hugely in popularity during that period. A further notable change since then has been the introduction of irreligion on census reports; however, this only accounts for about 0.1% of the Burmese population. As such, when meeting women in Myanmar, there is a good chance that she will be religious. Most Burmese women follow Buddhism, but around 6% follow Christianity, 4.3% follow Islam, 0.5% follow Hinduism, and even 0.8% follow tribal religions. As such, religious diversity throughout Myanmar is present, even if only sometimes well-received by the people.

The mentality of Burmese women is generally a little different from that of many other Southeast Asian women since Myanmar, despite its lack of investment and innovation in some areas, has traditionally had a good level of gender equality compared with many other Asian and Southeast Asian regions. However, the level of inequality in Myanmar has grown slightly in recent years, with women from Myanmar again experiencing a shift in terms of gender discrimination. As such, while many women in Myanmar will have grown up in a society where women are more equal to men, the modern reality may be slightly further from this. As such, this is well worth considering when dating women from Myanmar; while they will likely be part of a traditionalist culture, most Myanmar women are still incredibly determined and eager to prove that they can contribute to the country and the household equally to men. Therefore, allowing your new Burmese partner the chance to prove herself and follow her dreams and goals can go a long way toward supporting her well-being and happiness accordingly. Fortunately, movements are still in place fighting for the re-establishment of women’s rights in Myanmar; moreover, the low average income of many people in Myanmar is increasingly forcing women to enter the workforce to help support family finances.

The level of discrimination toward women in Myanmar typically varies significantly, not only for their gender but also for religious discrimination. With this thought in mind, it is perhaps not surprising that many Burmese women, though seemingly meek and innocent, have a tough exterior; it’s often demanded in a culture that aims to suppress them due to underrepresentation and a lack of opportunities to advance. Interestingly, this often gives many Burmese women a particular strength, confidence, and overall determination that’s delightfully infectious and (if we may say so) quite inspirational in its own right. Burmese women will do their utmost to ensure everything is done perfectly, and they often won’t rest until they’ve achieved their goals – no matter what hurdles might be standing in their way. Whether it’s discrimination, access to education, or anything in between, Burmese women will find a way to pursue their dreams and achieve success.

However, one trait that often comes as a shock for people dating Burmese women for the first time is their conservative nature. Due to their confidence and seemingly determined characters, many people also assume that Burmese women won’t be shy regarding topics such as casual dating. However, many Burmese women will actively avoid casual dating due to their very conservative upbringing. Indeed, many Burmese women will begin to feel uncomfortable if engaging in casual dating for too long, as their upbringing has likely raised them to marry, settle down, and fall into more traditional gender roles as quickly as possible. Therefore, while casual dating is allowed in the country, most Myanmar women will want to know your intentions early on, and if wedding bells aren’t on the cards for your relationship, she may have second thoughts. As such, if you have been looking to date a woman from Myanmar, keep in mind the importance of marriage and maintaining a conservative social appearance for her.