Episode: KPN 07-01-2026

A Rohingya women leader transforms her community through UN Women’s Gender Volunteer programme

For more than 50 years, the Rohingya community in Myanmar has faced ongoing persecution, including serious human rights violations. In 2017, “clearance operations” forced the largest exodus of Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. Since then, more than one million refugees have been living in camps in Cox’s Bazar, their futures still uncertain.

Among them is a 27-year-old Rohingya woman — a gender volunteer with the UN Women programme — who fled Myanmar under harrowing circumstances.[1]

“That night, we heard gunshots and screams. Soldiers stormed our village and set our houses on fire. We fled with nothing, hiding in the jungle during the day of Eid-ul-Azha with my family. We walked for 15 days, surviving only on small amounts of food shared by our neighbours, before finally reaching Bangladesh.”

Since 2019, she has been working as a Gender Volunteer with UN Women, motivated by her personal experience of witnessing the vulnerabilities of women and girls.

“I got married for my safety,” she shares. “But it was when I joined UN Women that I truly found my path, working to support Rohingya women and girls. I understand what they are going through because I’ve lived it too.”

Gender Field Officers of UN Women ensure the continuity of community engagement through a network of 53 Gender Volunteers, 27 women and 26 men, across six camps. These trained volunteers serve as critical links between communities and service providers, collectively leading 203 community groups and delivering gender-responsive messages on topics such as gender equality and GBV prevention, while making essential referrals.

“In the beginning, I didn’t know how to find solutions,” she recalls. “But after receiving training from Gender Field Officers on behavioural change, GBV prevention and protection, I began to feel confident.”

In just six months, she became an active community mobilizer, conducting household visits, group meetings, awareness sessions, case documentation, and capacity-building trainings for women and girls.

As a leader of four community groups totaling 40 women and adolescent girls, she provides a strong platform for peer learning and protection advocacy. Her groups are part of a broader community-based network led by Gender Volunteers, where each volunteer supports multiple groups and approximately 40 members across six camps.

“Even during weekends and emergencies, I continue supporting my community. I established the ‘Rohingya Women Empower’ network in Camp 4, where we conduct weekend awareness sessions on gender messaging to build knowledge and confidence, and raise awareness on women’s human rights.”

This work is not without risk. The deteriorating security in the camps is a constant worry. Sometimes, they hear threats because of their work. But seeing women in her group find the courage to speak up or access a service keeps her motivated.

Her work involves handling sensitive cases, often related to gender-based violence, with confidentiality and compassion.

“It’s emotionally challenging, but building trust is essential. As a Gender Volunteer, I carefully refer and follow up on cases to ensure women receive the help they need.”

The increased awareness around women’s rights has encouraged women like her to engage in dialogue with camp authorities.

“We’ve spoken with our Camp-in-Charge (CiC), but we need more female CiCs. Women need safe spaces where we can gather, speak freely, and learn. In places like Shanti Khana[2], we acquire valuable skills, including education and sewing, which bring us peace and purpose. Women understand each other—we share, listen, and support one another.”

With generous support from the Government of Australia through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Government of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Gender Volunteer network of UN Women reached 17,865 women (16,969 Rohingya and 896 from host communities), including 1,092 women with disabilities, with protection and empowerment messaging in 2024. The programme also facilitated 5,652 referrals to essential services, affirming the power of refugee-led solutions and the resilience of women leading from the frontlines.

[1] The woman’s name has not been mentioned in the story, for her protection.
[2] Shanti Khana, or ‘House of Peace,’ refers to the UN Women-supported Multi-Purpose Women’s Centre, a safe space for women to gather, learn, and access services.

Tagged as: Rathedaung,  ARSA,  Rohingya,  war crimes,  Rohingya Refugee,  Camp schools,  Akyab,  Rohingya refugee camp,  community schools,  APBn,  RRRC,  foods shortage,  Balukhali,  Sittwe,  hungers,  Bangadesh refugee camp,  Teknaf,  ration cut,  BGP,  Burma-Bangladesh border,  Arakan,  RSO,  Buthidaung,  BGB,  Burma,  Malaysia going boat,  IDP camp in Arakan,  Arakan Army,  Myanmar,  Military navy,  Kutupalong,  Cox's Bazar,  Rohingya boat people,  Maungdaw,  Military Council force,  Rakhine,  IIMM.