Eking out a living is a huge challenge for hundreds of thousands of women living in the bleak camps in Cox’s Bazar. Thin, under-nourished women, clad in cotton saris and headscarves, sit on their haunches amid the warren of mud and thatched huts. They speak among themselves in a strange patois – part Bengali, part Arakanese – staring up every now and then to make eye contact with the aid workers milling about the Rohingya refugee camps. Thirty-seven-year-old Shagufta Ismail (name changed to protect identity) lives in one of the cramped huts of Camp 14 – the ‘widow block’. She came here along with two children in 2017 following the ethno-religious violence in the Rakhine State that forced hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya refugees to cross the Myanmar-Bangladesh border and seek refuge in Cox’s Bazar. Most humanitarian crises affect women and children badly but the Rohingya catastrophe is worse, especially for women. Even as Rohingya women refugees have little or no access to stable economic opportunities, especially in the face of widespread poverty, many have taken to prostitution as a means of survival. The security situation in the camps has also deteriorated with reports of crimes against women, including sexual assault. Shagufta’s condition is representative of Rohingya refugee women’s insecurities and vulnerabilities that stem from displacement and the consequent lack of belonging in a foreign land. Their experience is different from the Rohingya men. Two years after the Rohingya exodus, only 20 widows lived in the constricted huts of the refugee camps. While their numbers grew over the years, their general condition did not improve – an existence marked by uncertainty, lack of sanitation and a general degradation. However, amid the reports of wretchedness in the Cox’s Bazar camps – there are now an estimated 1 million refugees – there are flickers of hope. Seventeen-year-old Parveen Iqbal (name changed), for instance, wants to be “as free as you are, study and get a job”. Parveen, along with her family, fled the Rakhine State in August 2017 when she was in middle school. Her dreams remained unrealised but her conviction, that education was the surest means to a good life and eventually freedom, was shared by many others. Meanwhile, left to fend for herself, Shagufta, like the other “widows”, managed their households alone in conditions of extreme privation and continued violence. They selected their representatives, responsible for each camp block, from among themselves, indicating coordination and leadership in the camps. The representatives often act as mediators between the refugees and camps-in-charge. This was in stark contrast to before 2017 when they could rarely voice their opinions or exercise choices within their own homes. Violent conflicts have a greater impact on women since they become the target of gender-specific human rights violations. Women are doubly marginalised and oppressed due to political beliefs, ethnicity, religion and nationality. All of this and more has been happening at Cox’s Bazar’s 34 Rohingya camps. A 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan report says that women and children have been the worst affected, with many suffering from malnutrition. They are in dire need of healthcare, education, food security, protection and phycological care. While financial distress and economic crisis among the Rohingya have deepened, many lost their jobs with humanitarian organisations and NGOs during the pandemic. The Rohingya women refugees form a diverse group in terms of their background, choices, access to resources and networks both in Myanmar and Bangladesh. For instance, Parveen’s hut had two rooms with several electronic gadgets and a small separate space as the kitchen. Many of the women also had access to solar power which can be rented for a cost. Parveen’s father can afford to pay rent, but most families cannot. The ‘widow block’ residents had less money or spending power. Land was allocated to them based on what their purse allowed. Land was costlier in areas with better access to latrines, drinking water, tube wells and other amenities. For women such as Parveen, the camps provide job opportunities through involvement with NGOs. Such camps are not as liveable as the ones in Myanmar where Parveen’s family enjoyed better access to social and cultural institutions. Most other women had little or no access to basics, including full rations, a stove, cooking gas, water, sanitation or even proper shelter. The humanitarian response platform, a collective of INGOs and local NGOs, formed to render aid to the Rohingya in Bangladesh, is focused on ensuring gender rights and preventing sexual violence against women and children.