Take Five: “Women must be present where decisions happen”

Interview by Magfuzur Rahman Shana

Minara is a Rohingya human rights activist, Founder and Executive Director of Education & Wisdom Development for Rohingya Women, and former UN Women Gender Volunteer. Now based in Canada, she continues to champion Rohingya women's rights and leadership through community-led initiatives in Cox's Bazar's Rohingya camps.

UN Women supports Rohingya women-led initiatives like Minara’s to strengthen women’s leadership, participation in decisions, and collective action in their communities.

What shaped you into the leader you are today?

Even before displacement, I was already paying attention to women’s daily realities. I supported women and girls through teaching, and I worked at the community level with religious and community leaders because I knew change requires dialogue.

My personal experiences also shaped me. I faced hardship, responsibility, and stress, especially when I became the main earner. But those challenges also proved that a woman can survive, earn and lead.

When violence escalated and we were forced to flee, I told myself: I will not stop learning, and I will not stop supporting women.

How did you build your women’s network?

When I arrived in the camps, I saw many women who were newly displaced, confused, and isolated. I supported women in small ways: sharing information, listening and guiding them to access safe services. Women started coming to me because they trusted me and because we shared similar experiences. Slowly, those small conversations became group discussions, and we started our biweekly gathering, ‘TALIM’, meaning ‘education’ or ‘learning’, where women and girls could meet, learn and support one another. I conducted 400 confidential interviews with Rohingya women; I gained a deeper understanding of recurring patterns: what women fear, the sources of support they rely on, and their most urgent needs.

During COVID-19, with support from UN Women, I trained 10 women and we produced 10,000 masks. We sold them at a modest price, and it helped women earn something for their families.

Today, my network brings together more than 200 women and girls across different camp areas, along with 10 male volunteers who support practical tasks. I continue supporting the network from afar, while others are increasingly stepping forward to lead it locally.

What do you value in working with UN Women?

When I connected with UN Women and later joined as a Gender Volunteer, I learned how to speak about rights clearly and safely. I learned that supporting women is about dignity, participation and justice.

I often say: Earlier, I asked for daily needs. Through my work with UN Women, I learned to ask for rights and justice.

UN Women sees Rohingya women as leaders, not only as people who need assistance. We are listened to, our opinions are valued, and we have opportunities to raise issues.

Through UN Women, I had opportunities to participate in training, support donor visits and engage with Camp-in-Charge (CiC) and Armed Police Battalion security actors in the camps. These experiences helped me understand how systems work, and how women leaders can communicate with decision-makers and empower other women.

How do you connect women to safety, support, and opportunity?

Women feel safer in spaces specifically for women and girls, where they can come together free from some of the pressures and restrictions they face elsewhere. These include Multipurpose Women’s Centers (MPWCs) and other women-friendly spaces where they can receive information, psychosocial support, learn skills, and connect with other women. Some women tell me they go just to find a sense of peace, because it is one of the few spaces where they don’t feel judged.

My role, and my network’s role, is often to connect women to these safe spaces, especially women who are shy, new to the camp or facing restrictions at home. When women enter a safe space and see other women learning and speaking, they begin to believe: Maybe I can do this too.

Opportunities for income generation for women are limited in the camps, and when women have a dignified space to participate in livelihood activities and earn some incomes, they become more confident, feel less isolated, and gain greater respect at home.

What support do you need?

First, we need more safe spaces like MPWCs together with more community support for women to participate in activities. Second, women need opportunities to understand their rights, strengthen their leadership, and develop the skills to speak with confidence and organize safely. It is not enough to symbolically invite women – their voices need to be heard.

I also believe women’s groups in the camps need more support and opportunities to work together. Many women’s groups and networks are active in the camps, including mine. I want to continue to support them. By working together, they can share information, respond faster to crises, and speak up more strongly for women’s rights and priorities. Leadership is not one person; it is many women lifting each other up.