Everyone at Burma Campaign UK is very sad to learn that Padoh Naw Zipporah Sein has passed away.
Burma Campaign UK has worked with Zipporah for decades in her various roles, including General Secretary of the Karen Women’s Organisation, Presidium Board Member of the Women’s League of Burma, General Secretary of the Karen National Union (KNU), later on as Vice Chair of the KNU, and other leadership roles.
Zipporah has been an outstandingly effective civil society leader, delivering practical change for hundreds of thousands of women and children. Through the work of the Karen Women’s Organisation and through her own example as a role model, she has encouraged and empowered generations of women into leadership positions within Karen civil society.
As the first female leader of the Karen National Union, elected to that position, she smashed political and cultural glass ceilings, leading one of the largest and most influential ethnic revolutionary organisations in Burma.
Zipporah had an incredible determination to promote equality for women and promote human rights generally within Karen society and in the national democracy movement. She has left a permanent positive legacy. We will miss her greatly.