Deputy Minister H.E. Naw Htoo Phaw
Our policy must reflect our commitment to respectfully honour the humanity of all our people without discrimination and uphold international human rights and humanitarian law.
H.E. Naw Htoo Phaw was born in a rural conflict area in Karen state. As a child, she experienced the cruelty of the Myanmar Tatmadaw, in particular its treatment on ethnic Karen villagers in Karen National Union’s 1st Brigade area, where she completed her primary education.
H.E. Naw Htoo Phaw finished her matriculation from a public high school in Thaton Township, Mon State, before coming to join the Karen Women’s Organization at the Thai-Burma border in 2001. While studying at Selkirk College, Naw Htoo Phaw was awarded Peace and Human Rights Award in 2014. In recognition of her efforts for peace and justice in home country, she was named Next Generation Peacemaker in 2017 by Washington DC-based Peace and Justice Studies Association. Naw Htoo Phaw earned her Master of Arts in Human Security and Peacebuilding from Royal Roads University in 2018.
From 2006 to 2010, Naw Htoo Phaw represented KWO in the Women’s League of Burma, and became a staunch advocate for human rights and women’s empowerment internationally. In 2014, Naw Htoo Phaw joined Technical Team to support the Senior Delegation of Ethnic Armed Organizations. Naw Htoo Phaw also played an active role in the Karen State Constitution Drafting Committee and Federal Constitution Drafting and Coordinating Committee.
H.E. Naw Htoo Phaw was recently appointed as the Deputy Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management of the National Unity Government of Myanmar.