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035 _a.b12509772
099 9 _aAIT Thesis no.GD-26-04
100 1 _aMya Oo Khin
245 1 0 _aBreadwinners in a broken state :
_bthe feminization of economic survival in contemporary Lashio Town, Myanmar
260 _aPathum Thani, Thailand :
_bAsian Institute of Technology,
_c2026
300 _a149 leaves :
_bill.+
_e1 Online resource
490 1 _aThesis ;
_vno. no.GD-26-04
500 _aA thesis submitted in patial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Gender and Development Studies
502 _aThesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2026
520 _aThis thesis examines the "feminization of economic survival" in contemporary Lashio Town, Myanmar, specifically focusing on women in female-headed households (FHHs) who have become primary breadwinners following the 2021 military coup and the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing the theoretical frameworks of Feminization of Survival and Feminist Political Economy, the research investigates how 23 de jure and de facto female household heads adapt their livelihoods amidst state failure and socio-economic collapse. The study employs a qualitative methodology, triangulating data from in-depth interviews with perspectives from three key informants to capture the lived realities of these women. The findings reveal that FHHs face a landscape of interlocking structural constraints, including hyperinflation, conflict-induced asset loss, and restricted mobility due to rising crime. A central contribution of the study is the identification of a Care-Income-Debt Cycle, where the withdrawal of public services forces women to absorb intensive care responsibilities while relying on high-interest informal debt to manage family survival. Adaptive strategies are characterized by "multi-earning" and extreme livelihood diversification within precarious informal sectors, often involving home-based work to balance the demands of sick or elderly dependents. Furthermore, the research documents a severe "dual burden," as women perform overlapping visible (paid) and invisible (unpaid) labour for 12 to 17 hours daily, leading to chronic time poverty and physical exhaustion. The study concludes that while women exhibit significant resilience, their role as breadwinners in a "broken state" is driven by necessity and self exploitation rather than empowerment. These insights provide a vital foundation for developing gender-responsive humanitarian interventions that address the unique vulnerabilities of urban and peri-urban FHHs in Myanmar's ongoing crisis.
650 0 _aWomen
_xEconomic conditions
_zMyanmar
650 0 _aWomen
_xPolitical aspects
_zMyanmar
700 1 _aChatterjee, Joyee S.,
_eChairperson
700 1 _aKusakabe, Kyoko,
_eExamination Committee
700 1 _aRoy, Joyashree,
_eExamination Committee
710 2 _aDeutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD), Germany,
_eScholarship Donor
810 2 _aAsian Institute of Technology.
_tThesis ;
_vno. no.GD-26-04
856 4 0 _3Full-Text
_uhttp://203.159.5.9/ait-thesis/detail.php?q=B24564
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_bCREATED : 2026-06-19
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