findings V: gender impacts
Lack of Gendered Protections and Resources
Rohingya women report that compounding
vulnerabilities, both as women and as refugees
facing severe restrictions, have not been
sufficiently accounted for by the humanitarian
sector in the design of shelters and services in
the camps. One of the gender-related factors
that contribute to the vulnerability of women
in their daily movement is the design and
location of sanitation facilities. Globally, the
absence of gender considerations in the design
of sanitation facilities is known to place women
at-risk of harassment and assault.139 Rohingya
women reported experiences of SGBV while
moving to sanitation facilities and the resulting
fear of using these facilities. “We feel very
unsafe to go out to use the latrine,” said Sabina,
a 30-year-old Rohingya woman. “We always
need to wear burqas to go to the latrine because
many people keep walking along the road.” 140
Additionally, One Rohingya woman reported
experiencing inappropriate treatment perpetrated by male doctors in the camps. Sabina, a
30-year-old Rohingya woman, shared: “When
we go to the health facilities, the male doctors take
advantage of sickness. They make us take off our
clothes and touch us improperly which makes us feel
very cheap and shy.” 141 Female respondents also
reported being unable to receive treatment for
female-related medical conditions, as there
are a limited number of female healthcare
workers, and socio-cultural taboos surrounding gender and sexuality prevent them from
disclosing complaints to male providers.
139
140
141
DEVEX. WASH Facilities Can Prevent Gender-Based Violence, Experts Say. 2021.
Interview C26F
Interview C26F
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents