![[Beyond DUNIA] Do Women’s Movements Exist in Southeast Asia?](https://storage.ghost.io/c/62/dc/62dc96dc-dc55-4ca2-b75d-c7a4ffda823a/content/images/2026/01/20.png)
The idea that Asian women are merely passive victims is rooted in Orientalism and misogyny. This essay highlights women-led movements like Indonesia’s Suara Ibu Peduli, revealing how Asian women have long resisted exploitation—and why reclaiming erased feminist histories matters.
Yeaser, a Rohingya student, studies chemistry on YouTube because his camp lacks even basic lab tools. He dreams of becoming a doctor in Cox’s Bazar, where medical care disappears at night. From the UN’s “Ground Zero,” Dunia presents an op-ed by his teacher, Niyamot Ullah.
Cyclone Ditwa hit Sri Lanka in late 2025, killing 600+ and displacing 1.5 million. As India and Pakistan cooperated on relief, mass blood donations, community kitchens, and volunteer rescues revealed strong public solidarity.
Severe flooding in Perlis has exposed cracks in Malaysia’s climate defenses despite major mitigation spending. With economic losses rising, displaced families surviving in makeshift shelters underscore the widening gap between policy and lived reality.
The deadly 2025 Sumatra floods, which killed 914 people, were not just due to heavy rain but driven by deforestation and palm oil expansion. Despite government denial, affected areas remain cut off with little access to aid.
Hat Yai’s flood became a man-made disaster as ignored drainage warnings, weak leadership, and false “safety” alerts deepened the damage and broke public trust. Slow relief and the PM’s late admission underscore the need for urgent reform of Thailand’s disaster governance.