Wai Wai Nu
Ms. Wai Wai Nu is a former political prisoner and the Founder and Executive Director of the Women’s Peace Network (WPN) in Myanmar. She spent seven years as a political prisoner in Burma and since her release from prison in 2012, she has dedicated herself to advocating for democracy and human rights. Through WPN, Ms. Nu works to build peace and mutual understanding between Myanmar’s ethnic communities, advocate for the rights of marginalized women, and advance the WPS agenda in Myanmar. To engage youth in the peacebuilding process to promote democracy education, Ms. Nu also founded the Yangon Youth Center: a space where youth from diverse backgrounds can come together to learn, share, and explore their ideas and promote leadership in social, political, and peace-building. Through her work, she has been recognized as a Champion of Prevention by the United Nations Office of the Prevention of Genocide and Responsibility to Protect. She is a Bush Institute Liberty Leadership Scholar and an Obama Foundation Scholar at Columbia University, and a recipient of, among others, the N-Peace Awards (2014); Democracy Courage Tributes, World Movement for Democracy (2015); Hillary Rodham Clinton Award (2018); City of Athens Democracy Award (2021); and International DVF Award (2021).
Addressing the root causes of conflict is vital for ensuring women’s full participation in Myanmar’s future. And when the key perpetrators of decades of atrocities remain unpunished — impunity is the root cause.
At the Security Council
Ms. Wai Wai Nu was selected to represent civil society at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security in October 2024. She spoke in her capacity as Founder and Executive Director of Women’s Peace Network.