Beyond the bylines: How Kant Kaw turned a dream into a 15-year fight for equality in Myanmar

From childhood aspiration to championing women’s voices in Myanmar

Originally published on Global Voices

Exile Hub is one of Global Voices’ partners in Southeast Asia, emerging in response to the 2021 coup in Myanmar, focusing on empowering journalists and human rights defenders. This edited article is republished under a content partnership agreement.

Kant Kaw’s journey into journalism officially began in 2009, but her story started long before that. As a child, she devoured books of every kind, captivated by the power of language. She dreamed of becoming a writer, yet understood early that writing alone could not sustain her. So she pursued practical jobs while holding on to her passion.

Everything changed the day she discovered journalism. For her, it was the perfect convergence of purpose and livelihood. It allowed her to write, to witness, and to serve the public. Fifteen years later, she remains in the field, saying that she never stopped loving the work.

“I absolutely love thinking up and writing news and article ideas. I can't give it up.”

Breaking the silence on oppression

Kant Kaw soon realized that her calling extended beyond reporting events as they unfolded. She felt compelled to disclose the struggles that women in Myanmar face every day.

“I met women who had to carry their fear in silence, yet still found the strength to protect their children and families. They wake up every morning choosing survival. In our conversations, I saw not weakness, but extraordinary strength — especially during moments of political upheaval.”

Through Kant Kaw’s work, stories that might otherwise have remained untold reached wider audiences. For example, she shone a light on the realities of a young mother in a conflict-affected township who begins each day calculating risk, choosing safer routes to buy food, wondering whether her child’s school will be open, and navigating military checkpoints.

She also documented moments of collective trauma: village raids where women were detained and interrogated as their children looked on; instances of sexual harassment and threats used to instill fear or extract information. After their release, many survivors remained silent, constrained by stigma and the constant fear of retaliation.

Fighting gender bias, one article at a time

Inside the newsroom, discrimination seemed unavoidable. Women were routinely underestimated, sidelined, or given fewer opportunities. In response, Kant Kaw pushed herself to excel in her field.

“When I faced discrimination, I used my work to prove that I should not be underestimated as a woman, and I succeeded.”

She grew bolder, fueled by the writings and achievements of women authors whose strength inspired her more deeply than any male success story could. She is committed to amplifying women’s stories and nurturing their talents, recognizing storytelling as an effective means to do so.

Care as a practice for sustaining the work

Years of reporting, especially in post-coup Myanmar, have taken a toll. These days, she practices intentional self-care to sustain her work: music, hiking, friendships, and proactive emotional problem-solving.

She gives care as much as she receives it, offering support and presence to friends who struggle. She knows the stakes:

“Women often carry heavier emotional burdens. Without mental resilience, it is easy to break, so I protect myself carefully.”

Her dream of becoming a writer did come true — just not in the way she first imagined. She writes for the public, for women whose voices have been muted by injustice, and continues to write as an act of resistance, a record of truth, and a source of hope.

Through her writing, she pushes back against silence, against injustice, and against anyone who dares to underestimate what a woman can do.