In Myanmar, social cohesion has three prominent, intersecting dimensions: religion, ethnicity and gender. The
current state model did not emerge during a liberal period of Myanmar history and still excludes those who do
not fit into the prevailing notions of indigeneity and belonging. Society remains dominated, at least in the public
presentation of power, by men, many of whom are still in military uniforms. While Aung San Suu Kyi is a notable
exception, Myanmar has an inconsistent track record of including women in all of its political, economic and
cultural functions. In the Union Assembly, only seven percent of members are women. The fact that the armed
forces still control 25 percent of seats, almost all of whom are men, is one part of the explanation.