Every Day is Women’s Day – Rohingya Women Speak Up

Three years since the massive Rohingya influx began in August 2017, today there are over a million Rohingya in need of humanitarian assistance in Cox’s Bazar, and over half of them are women and girls.Since the outbreak of COVID-19, reports have shown increases in all types of violence against women and girls. This is the Shadow Pandemic growing amidst the COVID-19 crisis and we need a collective effort to stop it.Today we are sharing the voices and demands of Rohingya women and girls who came together on International Women’s Day on 8 March 2020, in dialogue sessions together with Camps-in-Charge and humanitarian workers.Yet after this day, the whole world and Cox’s Bazar turned its focus towards combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, and despite its severe gender impacts, the focus on women’s rights became sidelined. One day a year, on 8th March, is not enough to end the larger shadow pandemic of gender inequality. Let’s make every day Women’s day! - whether we are dealing with a disease outbreak, armed conflict, refugee crisis, monsoon, or disasters. Any emergency response needs to be shaped by women’s voices and leadership as front liners and decision-makers.#MakeEveryDayWomensDay #IWD2020 #InternationalWomensDay #GenerationEquality #RealisingWomensRights #ShadowPandemic