Gender Inequalities in Reproductive Rights Among Rohingya Women: A Matter of Health, Education, and Income

This study represents an earlier independent research contribution by Dr. Ferdousi Akter, Executive Director and Founder of CMG Research International Ltd. Published in the Malaysian Journal of Human Ecology, the research examines how health, education, and economic conditions influence the reproductive rights and decision-making power of Rohingya women and girls living in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar. Dr. Akter served as the first and corresponding author, working with Nobaya Ahmad, Nik Ahmad Sufian Burhan, and Zumilah Zainalaludin.

The study used an exploratory qualitative approach, combining focus group discussions and key informant interviews. It examined women’s access to reproductive health care, menstrual health and hygiene, education, livelihood opportunities, and household income. The research also examined how patriarchal norms and family power structures shape women’s ability to make decisions about contraception, pregnancy, health services, education, and economic participation.

The findings show that reproductive inequality cannot be understood as a health issue alone. Limited education, restricted livelihood opportunities, and dependence on male household members can reduce women’s autonomy and reinforce barriers to reproductive health services. The paper recommends integrated interventions that link sexual and reproductive health, education, economic development, livelihood support, and gender-based violence prevention to strengthen the rights and agency of Rohingya women and girls.

What the Research Reveals

Reproductive rights are closely connected to education, economic independence and decision-making power. When women have limited literacy, restricted access to livelihoods and little influence within the household, their ability to seek reproductive health care and make informed decisions about their own bodies is also constrained. The paper therefore calls for coordinated responses that address health, education, income and gender inequality together.

• What determines whether a Rohingya woman can access reproductive health care and make decisions about her own body?

• How can education and economic participation strengthen the reproductive autonomy of women and girls in displacement settings?

The research paper was published in Volume 3 of the Malaysian Journal of Human Ecology, a scientific journal of the Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia.