Sexual harassment emerged as the most pressing concern for Rohingya women and adolescent girls living in refugee camps in Cox鈥檚 Bazar, according to a new study released on Sunday.
The study, launched by non-government organisation ActionAid Bangladesh marking the eighth year of Rohingya displacement from Myanmar鈥檚 Rakhine State, highlights protection risks and future aspirations of women and girls in the camps.
Girls aged 6鈥�15 were found to be particularly vulnerable, with most cases of harassment reported near latrines and bathing spaces. Incidents were also common at food distribution centres, hospitals, schools, madrassas, border areas and even within relatives鈥� homes.
The research, titled 鈥樏刟rar H茅fazot: Protection Needs of Rohingya Women and Girls Through Their Voices,鈥� engaged 96 women and adolescent girls 鈥� 66 from camps 1E, 8E and 5, and 30 from the host community in Ukhiya. Using feminist, participatory methods, Rohingya and local women were included as co-researchers to ensure the findings reflected their lived realities.
Cox鈥檚 Bazar now shelters over a million Rohingya refugees, most of whom fled a military crackdown in Myanmar鈥檚 Rakhine State in 2017.
The study found that child marriage and polygamy have become widespread in the camps, while nearly half of respondents stressed the urgent need for counselling services for men and boys. Rising insecurity, fuelled by armed groups and drug trafficking, was also identified as a growing threat to women鈥檚 safety.
On the question of their future, most women expressed a desire for safe and dignified repatriation to Myanmar. A smaller proportion of younger participants said they hoped to migrate to a third country.
The report calls for the immediate establishment of confidential, in-person, gender-sensitive reporting mechanisms with strong referral pathways to strengthen existing protection systems.
Its findings were shared at a dissemination and dialogue event in Dhaka, where ActionAid Bangladesh鈥檚 humanitarian head Md Abdul Alim gave an overview of the organisation鈥檚 work. Research findings were presented by Tamazer Ahmed, Manager for Policy Research and Advocacy, while Country Director Farah Kabir facilitated a dialogue on protection needs.
Speakers stressed that the findings represent not just data but the voices of refugee women, underscoring the urgency of addressing gender-based violence, child marriage and restrictions on women鈥檚 mobility. They emphasised that the Rohingya crisis should be viewed as a humanitarian, social and economic challenge requiring comprehensive solutions.
Key recommendations included ensuring safe, well-lit toilets and bathing spaces, deploying female security staff, establishing women-led protection committees, curbing armed groups through stronger law enforcement, and expanding access to legal aid.
The study was supported by ActionAid UK and funded by the People鈥檚 Postcode Lottery, in collaboration with local partner Agrajattra.
