The original (still stupid) superstition was that women are terrifying sexual beings/temptresses that can ruin men’s holiness.

I can’t tell you how angry I was when I reached puberty and was told I could no longer climb pagodas in case I toppled them with the power of my vagina.

The idea was just as unbelievably sexist, but at least it put Myanmar women in some kind of position of power.

We were all Delilah and our fannies rendered men as useless as if we’d shorn their hair.

And like that piece said, could even stop elephants.

#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar

It’s also important to note that htamein have traditionally been good luck for men too!

When pierced ears were common for men in #Myanmar, those going to war would roll up a small piece of their mother’s htamein and wear it as a stud to give them strength and courage.

Carrying on this tradition, during the 8888 Uprising in 1988, male protestors even wore strips of their mothers’ htameins as bandanas and of their partners’ htameins as wristbands.

This photo is poor quality, but you can just about see.

#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar

Let’s not forget the times that the Myanmar military have worn htamein because yadaya / their astrologers told them that a woman would rule Burma

http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2053563,00.html

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Also, hopefully you now have some idea of just how much the junta loathed The Lady, i.e. Aung San Suu Kyi, purely because she *was* a woman - at one point, even banning people from saying her name or displaying her picture.

#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar

Anyway, in summary:

The Women of Myanmar f*cking ruled, until a bunch of women-hating, insecure, superstitious army tyrants decided to beat them down for nearly 60 years.

More reading courtesy of @SeinenuL

https://www.irrawaddy.com/opinion/guest-column/the-long-history-of-burmese-pussy-power.html

#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar #MyanmarWomenRule

Okay, let’s end on a high note!

Myanmar women have *always* been as strong as (if not stronger than) our men - and even after so many decades of oppression, *still* we rise!

And I promise you, we are going to take back what’s ours with interest!

#WhatsHappeninglnMyanmar