The State of Myanmar’s Apparel Sector

This seminar is an online event via Zoom

Date: August 25, 2025 (Monday)

Time: 06:00 – 07:00 PM (Melbourne Time)

02:30-03:30 PM (Myanmar/Yangon Time)

Join Zoom Meeting: please click here 

Meeting ID: 896 6683 9791

Passcode: 522994

The apparel sector in Myanmar is estimated to provide around 500,000 jobs, 90% of them for women and at the time of the coup was on a growth trajectory, COVID notwithstanding. Since 2021, the industry and the workers within it, have faced multiple challenges, most recently the imposition of a 40% Trump tariff on exports to the USA.  Vicky Bowman, former Director of Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business, and Kyaw Phyo Phyo Aye, a specialist in social compliance in the sector, including child labour will provide an update on the sector.

Vicky Bowman was Director of Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB) between 2013 and 2025. She is Senior Adviser at the Institute of Human Rights and Business (IHRB), Chair of the Global Network Initiative, and on the Board of the International Code of Conduct Association (ICoCA).  From 2011-2013 she led global mining company Rio Tinto’s policy approach to transparency, human rights and resource nationalism/resource curse issues. She was Director of Global & Economic Issues and G8 sous-Sherpa for the United Kingdom from 2008-2011 and Head of the Southern Africa Department in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK Government from 2006-2007. Vicky served as ambassador of the UK to Myanmar from 2002-2006 and as second secretary in the Embassy  from 1990-1993.

Kyawe Phyo Phyo Aye is a Social Compliance Specialist and founder of ProEthics Solutions, a consultancy dedicated to child labor prevention, remediation, and young worker protection in Myanmar’s garment industry. She has over 15 years of experience working with international brands, development programs, and civil society organizations in social compliance, human rights, and ethical supply chains. She has been selected as a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics under the Charles Wallace Burma Trust Fellowship, where she will research child labor in Myanmar’s garment sector.

Questions and Answers will follow the presentations. For more information about AMI, please visit aummi.edu.au/.