IMPACT ON WOMEN AND GIRLS CAMP MARRIAGE TRENDS Survey data indicates that marriages are frequent among refugees in Bangladesh. In 30 percent of households, at least one female family member has left the household to marry since arriving to Bangladesh. This is in keeping with the patrilineal norm of Rohingya women moving in with their husband’s family. Of the 631 marriages in 425 households for which enumerators collected information (some respondents reported more than one marriage), 99 percent were between a Rohingya bride and groom. Some 97 percent of these women have continued living in the camps, while 2 percent live in Malaysia and less than 1 percent live elsewhere in Bangladesh, outside the camps. Some interviewees attributed the increase in marriages to the greater ease of getting approval from camp authorities compared to Myanmar, where restrictions and extortionate fees often made marriage impracticable. Financing of dowries “ Dowries are part of our culture, not our religion. According to our religion, dowries are not allowed. But if we don’t follow the practice, girls will get too old for marriage. When we were in Myanmar, it was manageable for me to arrange my daughters’ marriages without taking any loans, but after fleeing here it has become too difficult. I’m not comfortable borrowing money. I’d be thankful to Allah if this dowry practice could be stopped. Family borrowed from friends or relatives 68% Family spent savings 52% Family took a loan from a money lender 38% Family sold land or possessions 32% Family received a remittance 22% No dowry 21% - Rohingya father of ten, age 50 A former shopkeeper from Buthitaung living in Camp 16 n = 385; multiple response Gender and livelihood WOMEN WHO WORK MARRIAGE, DOWRY, AND MOBILITY 12% of households report that women contribute to family income in some way INCOME SOURCES 63% 52% Shelter-based activities like snack-making and tailoring Working with NGOs n = 207; multiple response question Although most refugees’ relatives abroad are males, those interviewed noted a recent increase in women attempting to travel from the camps to Malaysia. While dowries are widespread in the camps, some men in Malaysia who are looking for a bride will pay for a woman’s journey and do not require a dowry. This creates some incentive for families to send their daughters on the risky journey overseas, normally by boat, but occasionally by plane using an illegally procured Bangladeshi passport. When dowries are needed, families pay for them in different ways, often pooling funds from multiple sources. Respondents explained that dowries were less often expected in the early days of displacement, but that the practice has recently regained popularity. Interviewees described the dowry tradition ambivalently: as a burden that pushes families into debt, yet also a longstanding cultural practice not easily avoided.