Gendered Vulnerabilities and Violence in Rohingya Refugee Camps in Bangladesh

This chapter discusses the various vulnerabilities and violence that refugees experience in the refugee camps in Bangladesh. It argues that Rohingya women continue to bear the scars of violence experienced in Myanmar, exacerbated by the patriarchal and traditional structure of the Rohingya community, resulting in shame, psychological stress, and domestic violence inside the camps. Some victims of domestic violence and husbands’ multiple marriages perceive these practices as justified and part of their daily lives, representing symbolic violence. This chapter illustrates how child marriage for girls is used as a negative coping mechanism, while multiple marriages committed by men are viewed as a form of ‘business’. It also argues that access to justice and everyday safety and well-being are gendered. Furthermore, a gendered form of othering is evident, where Rohingya men are constructed as the ‘monstrous other’, while women are portrayed as victims and vulnerable.