Bangladesh-Rohingya Documentation Program
Gender Justice for Rohingya Women
Women and girls are disproportionately affected by conflict, and displacement due forced migration can leave them exceptionally vulnerable. In recent months, there has been a spike in domestic violence reported in Rohingya camps in Bangladesh. Although authorities are often alerted to these incidents, Rohingya in the camps say there is no legal recourse for harmful acts or threats committed against them, and they aren’t allowed to participate in consultations around prevention, response or care. Despite these challenges, women are willing to learn more so they can teach others and initiate change in the near future.
To begin facilitating this dialogue among women, in February 2019, Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation’s Consortium partner, Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR), conducted two workshops with twenty Rohingya women in camps in Cox’s Bazar. The workshops provided space for women to share experiences, challenges and hopes for the future, as well to discuss issues facing women specifically. Women expressed fear about what may happen to their children and were interested to learn more about everyday justice in the camps. Participants also expressed a willingness to share their new learning with the wider community, which some, as leaders of network sub-groups in the camps, are well-equipped to do. Additional workshops and projects, detailed below, have been conducted throughout 2020.
The Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation (GIJTR) – a flagship program of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience – is a Consortium of nine organizations that together serve as a new mechanism to respond in a multi-disciplinary and integrated manner to the transitional justice needs of societies emerging from conflict or periods of authoritarian rule.
Capacity Building Workshops
Workshop on “Working with Victims of Violence using ‘Mosaic’”
In February 2020, AJAR, GIJTR Consortium partner, conducted a workshop with young volunteers in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Ten participants attended (five female and five male) and learned how to apply data collection and research techniques using participatory art methodologies such as hand-mapping and mosaics. The participants created artwork that was diverse and symbolic – for instance, some painted the Bangladesh flag, while others painted schools as a symbol of their right to education.
Self-Care in Refugee Camps
In February 2020, GIJTR Consortium partner, AJAR, facilitated a session on self-care to discuss issues of emotional balance and self-evaluation with 18 Rohingya women. The session included relaxation techniques and self-care activities like reflexology. Many women complained about being unable to sleep due to pains associated with childbirth, as well as nightmares from trauma they have suffered. After attending the workshops, participants described mental and physical improvements in their lives. One woman said, “I used to rarely leave my house. Now I am happy to join these meetings, share stories and experiences.”
Spring 2020: Assessments and COVID-19 Awareness
In March 2020, four surveys were conducted with over three dozen women at Rohingya camps to measure skills, motivations and expectations for future action. The reflections by these groups were used to gauge interest and will assist in the development of curriculum.
In April 2020, GIJTR Consortium partner, AJAR, conducted daily COVID-19 Awareness Discussions conversations with members of the network of Rohingya women facilitators. The aim of these discussions was to listen to how the women were feeling and provide a safe space for them to voice their concerns and how they are processing any changes during these times. In the initial months, women reported many misconceptions about COVID-19 that were spreading through the camps. Upon hearing this, AJAR communicated directly with 80 women, providing accurate information on COVID-19 protection and clarifying misconceptions about the virus and protection strategies. The women have since shared this information with at least 375 others, saving countless lives. Despite a pause in regular programming due to the pandemic, ICSC partners have been conducting weekly meetings with Rohingya women by phone, encouraging them to continue learning about human rights and justice and providing information on how to do so.
Summer 2020
‘Quilt Of Memory and Hope’
Exhibition and Short Video
In May 2020, GIJTR Consortium partner, AJAR, and the Liberation War Museum (LWM), Site of Conscience in Dhaka, Bangladesh, launched an online exhibition sharing stories from Rohingya women survivors told through embroidered panels (See “Quilt of Memory and Hope: Story of Rohingya Women Survivors”). With 120 individual panels, the three “quilts” bring together the women survivors’ stories as one collective voice. Creating these panels was a way for women to speak about their memories of home and what they hold dear, as well as their demands for justice. This was the culmination of the participatory action research AJAR has been conducting since March 2019 which has grown to more than 90 Rohingya women inside the camps.
In May, AJAR started a new quilt project on “Quilting for Justice During COVID-19” with Rohingya women. Sewing has been a common past-time for the Rohingya, and is one example of how collective action through art can unite, heal, and spur action. These quilts will be featured as part of the aforementioned quilt series “Quilt of Memory and Hope.” Women in the camps have already requested more sewing materials, and together, created the theme of quilting for justice during the pandemic. Women sewed stories based on topics such as how they feel during the pandemic, how their lives have been impacted, and what kinds of injustices they have experienced. There was a core group of 80 women, but on occasion this swelled to more than 100.