"Finding Strength in Fashion: How Women Escaping Conflict Rediscover Their Pride"

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In a community centre tucked away in suburban Perth, the room hums with soft laughter and the subtle movements of thread being woven by hand.

A group of Karen women sit side by side, chatting in their native language as they weave vibrant threads into traditional cloth — a craft passed down through generations.

For them, this is more than a weekly gathering. It is a labour of love and a powerful act of cultural preservation. Among them is Sisterlay Toe, a member of the growing Karen community in Perth.

“I use the fabric to make clothes for myself, and when I wear the clothes, I am happy, I feel proud,” the 47-year-old said.

A woman in a beige jacket sits on the floor, weaving a length of red fabric on a hand-held loom.

Sisterlay Toe, a member of the Karen community in Perth, said she finds pride in using traditional skills to create clothing. Source: SBS / Christopher Tan

The Karen, also known as Kayin, are an ethnic group originally from Myanmar (formerly Burma) and Thailand.

Weaving is central to Karen cultural identity, with women passing down these skills to their daughters as a way to preserve both history and cultural memory.

“It is really important that we keep weaving alive,” Toe said.

“It helps us to remember our culture and the skills that our great-grandparents have, and then we can show it to the next generation.”

Toe is among 15,000 Karen people who now call Australia home, many having fled conflict and persecution in their homeland.

“I still remember the military coming to our village very often, and we did not want to be arrested,” she said.

“Sometimes, they wanted to destroy, by burning our houses. And also sometimes there was looting and killing.”

A hazy image of a lone structure standing amidst tall trees and rubble as smoke billows behind.

The Karen are an ethnic minority group from Myanmar who have faced decades of conflict and displacement. Source: AP

Conflict has raged in Myanmar for decades, but the worsening human rights crisis stems largely from a 2021 military coup.

Since then, the military has been fighting a wide array of pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic armed groups, resulting in thousands of deaths, with many more detained or forced to flee their homes.

The crisis was further compounded earlier this year by devastating earthquakes that killed more than 3,700 people.

A United Nations report released earlier this week states it has gathered evidence of “systematic torture” in Myanmar’s military-run detention facilities and identified some of the most senior perpetrators.

While the military has not responded to the allegations laid out in the report, it has repeatedly denied committing atrocities, saying it is maintaining peace and security while blaming “terrorists” for unrest.

Aid cuts put Karen refugees at risk

The Karen are among the ethnic communities in Myanmar most affected by the ongoing conflict.

Graham Thom, advocacy co-ordinator for the Refugee Council of Australia, said there are nine makeshift camps along the Myanmar-Thai border that house over 100,000 displaced Karen people.

“Those in the camps are totally dependent on non-government organisations and aid for their survival, for their health, their education, for even basic food,” he said.

However, recent cuts to international aid, particularly from the United States, have left many in a precarious situation.

“When there are significant cuts to aid, it creates incredible hardship for the people in the camps,” he said. “And the Karen are among the groups that are particularly suffering.”

Two women with their faces covered by their hands are sitting.

Karen refugees living in camps along the Myanmar-Thailand border rely almost entirely on NGOs to meet their most basic needs of food, education, healthcare, and protection of their human rights.

Thom is among several aid workers raising concerns about the growing humanitarian crisis in the camps, where food rations for children have been slashed to just a few US cents’ worth per day.

According to a statement co-published by 20 Karen groups, even before the aid reductions, food provisions were already insufficient to meet basic survival needs.

“It is not just the US cutting funds, the UK and many other countries are withdrawing aid from such crucial crises,” Thom said.

“So, we really need Australia to lead by example and make sure that these communities are getting the support they need and aid is restored.”

An older woman sits behind a wooden loom covered with pink thread.

Karen women in Perth are striving to keep the traditional skills of weaving alive. Source: SBS / Christopher Tan

Healing through weaving

With all sides in Myanmar’s civil war accused of committing war crimes, returning to Myanmar remains risky for Karen refugees.

Many have found new homes in Australia, including Mu Lay SongSaeng, who said she was so happy for the chance at a new life here because she has more freedom.

“We don’t need to be afraid of the military and we don’t need to run around because of the civil war,” she said.

However, like many from her community, SongSaeng fears traditional Karen skills like weaving are in danger of being lost.

This prompted her to revitalise a group called ‘Weave to Thrive’ two years ago in Mirrabooka, in northern Perth.

A group of women sit on the floor winding thread onto a hand loom.

The weaving group connects women from the community and seeks to foster pride in their cultural heritage. Source: SBS / Christopher Tan

As it has been for centuries, Karen cloth is made on handheld looms carved from recycled timber.

“Back in Myanmar, we don’t have many fancy things. So, we used whatever was around in our environment. If we have bamboo or wood, then our men make it into shapes so we use it,” she said.

SongSaeng said weaving together helps women to heal. Many have lost so much during their past traumatic experiences.

“In our culture, blue, red and white are the famous colours, and red represents bravery,” she described.

“Every Friday, this room comes alive. It is full of fun and joy. The women really enjoy coming here and they produce lovely handicrafts and also sell fabrics to earn some income.”

A selection of colourful clothing hangs on a wall.

A group of Karen women in Perth come together to weave handicrafts, with some also selling handwoven fabrics to earn an income. Source: SBS / Christopher Tan

However, many Karen fear for those still languishing in Thai camps.

“We want the world to know that the Karen living in refugee camps face a lot of problems,” she said.

“But we also want the world to know that we are strong!”