Why We Flee: The Rohingya Women
Whilst safe from the Myanmar military in the camps, Rohingya women remain at risk due to gender-based and sexual violence, discrimination, human trafficking and health problems
In Cox’s Bazar refugee settlement in Bangladesh, women and girls make up more than half of the 725,000 Rohingya refugees who have escaped extreme violence in Myanmar. In their home country, the Myanmar military burned their villages to the ground, tied up women alongside their daughters, sisters, mothers, and repeatedly used their bodies as weapons of war, often in front of their families and local communities. If they weren’t then murdered, they were left for dead, broken, often pregnant and consequently shunned by their families.
If they even make the treacherous journey to Cox’s Bazar refugee settlement, Bangladesh, they often refuse medical assistance from the one available hospital in the settlement out of fear, because they were prevented from accessing healthcare services in Myanmar. Mentally and emotionally, the women show signs of deep trauma; mental-ill health is commonplace and often left untreated.
Whilst safe from the Myanmar military in the camps, the Rohingya women continue to struggle due to gender-based and sexual violence, discrimination, human trafficking and health problems.
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