Verse: filmmaking for women's rights in MyanmarCEFR A2
28 Dec 2025
Adapted from Exile Hub, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Matan Levanon, Unsplash
After the 2021 coup, local media and rights groups faced new pressure. Exile Hub, a partner of Global Voices, grew to support journalists and human rights defenders in Southeast Asia.
Verse began as a reporter in 2018 and wanted to cover politics, but she met gender bias. For a major assignment men were sent to Nay Pyi Taw while she stayed behind. She left journalism and joined a women’s rights organisation to work on feminist and human rights issues.
In 2020 she went to Yangon Film School. Her animated film Exit looks at the lives of sex workers and was supported by Goethe-Institut Myanmar and shown at festivals in 2024.
Difficult words
- coup — a sudden illegal change of government
- exile — living away from your country for safety
- journalist — a person who reports news for the publicjournalists
- defender — a person who protects other people's rightsdefenders
- assignment — a job or task given to someone
- animated — made using moving drawings or images
- feminist — supporting equal rights for women
- gender bias — unfair treatment because of a person's gender
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Have you seen or experienced gender bias at work? What happened?
- Do you think it is important to support journalists and defenders? Why or why not?
- Would you like to make a short film about a social issue? What topic would you choose?
Related articles
Romani communities in Greater São Paulo seek recognition and services
Romani people living in the outskirts of Greater São Paulo face prejudice, poor living conditions and difficulty accessing services. Community leaders want official recognition, inclusion in the census and teaching of Romani history and culture in schools.
New law sets marriage age at 18, but child marriage continues in South Punjab
In May 2025 Pakistan made the legal marriage age 18 for everyone. Child marriage still happens in South Punjab, as seen in Behal, where a 14-year-old girl named Zunaira was arranged to marry a much older man.