GlobeMed at Whitman College

Who we are // GlobeMed at Whitman

GlobeMed at Whitman, a chapter of the national non-profit GlobeMed, strives to educate and engage the Whitman community on issues of global health through discussions, films, and a close collaborative relationship with Burmese Women's Union (BWU). BWU is a grassroots organization in Thailand, founded by a group of young women’s refugees from Burma. BWU works to promote democracy, social justice health equity. By fostering an intimate partnership between Whitman students and BWU and raising money for our project with BWU, GlobeMed at Whitman aims to instill Whitman students with a sense of personal investment and efficacy in the broad fight for global health equity.

Our partner // Burmese Women's Union in Mae Sot, Thailand

The Burmese Women’s Union exists to promote the role of women in Burma and to efficiently increase women's contributions to the political and social leadership functions in the struggle for democracy and human rights and the establishment of a genuine democratic federal union. They are an independent association aiming to unite and empower the women of Burma, both along the Thailand, India and China borders and internationally.

Membership with BWU is free and open to all women of Burma regardless of ethnicity, race, religion, marital status, sexual preference, or livelihood. Part of their mission is to respond to the social welfare needs of its members and provide short- and long- term educational and vocational training programs for women. They send representatives to regional and international forums and conferences to highlight the situation of women in Burma as well as to gain international advocacy skills and establish a network of international and regional women's organizations. BWU in Thailand, with whom we work closely, also operates a health care clinic with a trained health educator and provides reproductive health services and family planning supplies.

Our Project // $1,500 for a reproductive health program

Our goal is to raise money to support a reproductive health program and supplies for Burmese Women’s Union. This program will provide a 3-day reproductive health training program in the refugee camps, 8 reproductive training/discussions among the migrant community, and 40 women with birth control for one year. The effectiveness of the project will be measured by recording how many women receive birth control each month and surveying the reproductive health training participants on who they shared their new knowledge with, among other survey questions.