Sexual harassment emerges as top concern for Rohingya women: Study

Sexual harassment has emerged as the top concern for Rohingya women and adolescent girls living in refugee camps in Bangladesh, according to a new study by ActionAid Bangladesh.

Most women (ranging from 50 per cent to 82 per cent depending on the camp) expressed a desire to return safely to Myanmar, while a smaller proportion of younger participants said they wished to migrate to a third country, it revealed.

According to the study, child marriage and polygamy have become widespread, while nearly half of respondents (48 per cent) stressed the urgent need for counselling for men and boys. The proliferation of armed groups and drugs within the camps further threatens the security and well-being of women and girls.

In the eighth year of displacement from Myanmar’s Rakhine State, ActionAid Bangladesh has released a new study exploring the protection risks and future aspirations of Rohingya women and adolescent girls living in Bangladesh.

The findings were presented at a research dissemination and dialogue event titled “Äarar Héfazot: Protection Needs of Rohingya Women and Girls Through Their Voices” held in Dhaka on Sunday.

The study, supported by ActionAid UK and funded by People’s Postcode Lottery, was carried out in collaboration with local partner Agrajattra.

The session opened with an overview of ActionAid Bangladesh’s humanitarian work by Md Abdul Alim, Head of Humanitarian Programme, followed by the research findings presented by Tamazer Ahmed, Manager, Policy Research and Advocacy. Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, then facilitated a dialogue on the protection needs of Rohingya women and girls.

The event brought together representatives of government agencies, the United Nations, embassies, local and international NGOs, donor organisations, researchers, experts and the media.

The study calls for the immediate establishment of gender-sensitive protection mechanisms and long-term solutions, stressing that an integrated response linking humanitarian action, climate resilience, and peace-building is vital.

Participants stressed the urgent need to strengthen protection for Rohingya women and girls, noting that the findings are not just data but the voices of refugee women themselves, reflecting their lived realities.

Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, said: “Our research was participatory, with Rohingya women themselves trying to speak about their lives. We sought to amplify those voices. These women have been here for nearly eight years, after fleeing persecution in Myanmar. At the beginning, there was no shelter; some improvements have been made since, yet violence against them has not diminished — only changed in form.”

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