Take women-friendly measures for female Rohingyas: BWHP

Bangladesh Women's Humanitarian Platform (BWHP) has demanded taking up some women-friendly measures for the female Rohingya refugees, including urgently setting up service centres within accessible ranges and engaging female volunteers in relief activities.

The organisation placed the demand at a press conference at the Press Club on Thursday after visiting a number of Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar recently.

Sultana Kamal, the platform's adviser and chairperson of WE CAN, while briefing the journalists highlighted risks of human trafficking and violence to be faced by women and children who account for 80 per cent of the population in the refugee camps.

She said female Rohingya refugees are also going through physiological distress either in absence of the male members of their families or for want of scope for engaging in economic activities and they need all kinds of support, including counselling, to get out of the situation.

After discussion with other members of the BWHP and government officials, it also recommended developing leadership among female refugees in different camps, conducting emergency awareness campaign on the issues of health, sanitation, baby food, reproductive health and family planning and strengthening vaccination programmes.

Other recommendations include emphasising the issues leaving impact on the local people while giving shelters to the Rohingya refugees, providing counselling service for improving psychosomatic problems, developing proper monitoring system and developing a strong group and coordination among humanitarian assistance providing organisations.

Among others, Gender Studies Programme Manager of Oxfam Nazmun Nahar and Programme Director of Naripakkhya Rawshan Ara were present.

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