Khin Lay is a women’s rights activist and the founding director of Triangle Women Organization. She is dedicated to promoting the status of women in Myanmar through individual empowerment and structural reforms. Her organization works to build the capacity of the women leaders to assume leadership roles in politics and public life. Through her organization, Khin Lay is a leading advocate for legal and policy reforms that promote gender equity and women’s empowerment. She is also leading efforts to protect women and girls who are survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
After the coup in Myanmar on February 1, 2021, Khin Lay and her family went into hiding and eventually escaped Myanmar. Since her escape, she has worked to support the democracy movement and continues to provide direct support to women who face increased threats of S/GBV under the military junta. She is a Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy, and recently established the Women’s Advocacy Coalition-Myanmar together with other prominent women leaders, which seeks to promote gender equity in the democracy movement and in the on-going political negotiations around Myanmar’s future and serves as a coordinator as well. She is now serving as an advisory board member of Ministry of Human Rights, National Unity Government.
Before establishing Triangle Women Organization, Khin Lay was a prominent political activist and youth leader for the National League for Democracy. She has also held numerous other roles, including as an Eisenhower Fellow, a chair of the Access To Justice Initiative, a steering committee member of Women’s Organization Network, the Country Coordinator for Freedom House, and a Program Consultant on Gender and Land Rights for Landesa Rural Development Institute. She holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc from Yangon University.

Participant in: August 2018 Fellowship: Peacebuilding and Women’s Meaningful Participation in Peacebuilding Processes