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Empowering women with skills that the market demands in Myanmar

Myanmar
Green Employment
20.01.2026
Vocational Skills Development Programme (VSDP), financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by Swisscontact, in partnership with Doh Eain is implementing the Women in Construction (WIC) training programme in Myanmar—an initiative responding not only to gender inequality, but to a structural labour shortage in the construction sector.

According to the 2014 Census, only 2% of women work in construction compared to 6.2% of men, with women largely confined to rural road projects. However, the bigger shift today is that a large share of working-age men migrate to Thailand and Malaysia for employment, leaving urban construction companies struggling to find skilled labour.

WIC addresses this market constraint by unlocking an underutilised workforce—women—while tackling long-standing social norms and entry barriers.

Through the programme, women gain:

  • Hands-on training in carpentry, masonry, painting, plumbing, and occupational safety
  • Career guidance, mentorship, and pathways to employment or entrepreneurship
  • Real-world construction experience that builds skills, confidence, and credibility
Than Sin, a young woman with a multisensory impairment, found new confidence through Doh Eain’s Women in construction programme. She learned technical skills alongside her mother, who supported her throughout.

 "I like construction work. It makes me happy. My Mum joined because I wanted to. I enjoy working with handy tools and especially love painting.”
Jelly, from the LGBTQIA+ community, thought construction was only for men, but the programme’s inclusive environment encouraged him to pursue carpentry and interior decoration.

 "Everyone welcomed me warmly and treated me equally. I was surprised and really happy to find such encouragement and support."

The programme goes beyond training individuals. The programme works with construction firms, trainers, and industry stakeholders to:

  • Shift hiring practices and perceptions of women as skilled workers
  • Promote safer and more inclusive worksites
  • Demonstrate the business case for employing women in response to labour shortages
  • Form women maintenance technician group for local heritage repair and maintenance
Ma Yin, with prior construction and factory experience, used the programme to gain practical skills for an independent career in construction.

 "I get paid well at the factory, but it doesn't lead to personal growth. The programme gave me confidence to re-enter the construction sector."
After ten years in media, Ma Cho Cho joined the programme to gain hands-on experience and teamwork skills in construction.

 "I wanted to know what challenges there might be. I left my decade-long career to seriously attend this programme."

Participants like Than Sin, Jelly, and Ma Yin are not only building careers and income security, but also proving that women are a viable, productive solution to the sector’s workforce gap.

By aligning women’s economic empowerment with market demand, Swisscontact and DohEain are helping Myanmar’s construction sector become more resilient, inclusive, and future-ready, while creating role models for the next generation.

2014 - 2027
Myanmar
Initial vocational education and training, Sustainable tourism
Vocational Skills Development Project (VSDP)
The project provides skills development opportunities to learners from disadvantaged background to enhance employment and self-employment opportunities and establishes access for MSMEs to finance, advisory and business development services to improve their overall business performance and to become more resilient.
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