Sexual harassment has emerged as the top concern for Rohingya women and adolescent girls living in Bangladesh's refugee camps, according to a new study by ActionAid Bangladesh.
Most women - 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.
The study said child marriage and polygamy had become widespread, while nearly half of the 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 threatened the security and wellbeing of women and girls, it also said.
Marking the eighth year of displacement from Myanmar's Rakhine state, ActionAid Bangladesh conducted the study, exploring the protection risks and future aspirations of Rohingya women and adolescent girls in Bangladesh.
The findings were presented at an event titled "Äarar Héfazot: Protection Needs of Rohingya Women and Girls Through Their Voices" and 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 of 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 (UN), embassies, local and international non-governmental organisations, donor organisations, researchers, experts, and the media.
The study called 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 was vital.
Participants stressed the urgent need to strengthen protection for Rohingya women and girls, noting that the findings were not just data but the voices of refugee women themselves, reflecting their lived realities.
Farah Kabir 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 then; yet violence against them has not diminished - only changed in form."
She underlined the need for immediate rights-based and gender-sensitive strategies.
"The research clearly shows that Rohingya women and girls today face multiple risks. Strategic change is essential, and we must adopt long-term, rights-based, and gender-sensitive measures to ensure their protection."
Speakers further emphasised that the crisis should not be seen in isolation but as a social, economic and humanitarian issue requiring comprehensive solutions.
The dialogue highlighted that child marriage, gender-based violence, and restrictions on women's mobility stemmed not only from entrenched patriarchy but also from the growing insecurity inside the camps and lack of basic services.
Recommendations included ensuring well-lit and safe toilets and bathing facilities, recruiting female security personnel, and establishing women-led protection committees.
Strengthening law enforcement to curb the influence of armed groups and improving access to legal aid were also stressed.
Juliette Murekeyisoni, deputy country representative at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), noted, "Women's economic dependency and patriarchal barriers remain major challenges, while men's disengagement further limits progress."
"The perspectives of affected women and girls must directly inform programmes and policy decisions."
Gitanjali Singh, country representative at UN Women, called for protection mechanisms to extend beyond women and girls to include other vulnerable groups, including transgender and gender-diverse communities.
She urged reconsideration of funding cuts that disproportionately impact women and girls in crisis contexts.
Hasina Rahman, country director at IRC, emphasised integrating education into women's empowerment programmes to tackle the root causes of vulnerability.
She warned that the withdrawal of US funding risks fuelling increases in GBV, IPV, and other forms of violence, and stressed the need for close monitoring of the consequences.
Other participants highlighted the importance of counselling for men and boys to change attitudes, and the expansion of women-friendly spaces, education and livelihood opportunities to promote empowerment and reduce risks.
The feminist, participatory, and community-led research engaged 96 women and adolescent girls - 66 from camps 1E, 8E, and 5, and 30 from the host community in Ukhiya.
Most participants were aged between 16 and 30.
Rohingya and local women were trained as co-researchers to ensure their experiences and priorities were directly reflected in the findings.
sajibur@gmail.com