The Impact on Women and Girls
An estimated 9.7 million women and girls are in urgent humanitarian need due to the ‘polycrisis’. These fragile conditions significantly increase the risk of gender-based violence, with many survivors unable to access essential services, including medical and psychological support, or legal justice.
Rates of child marriage have soared in conflict-affected areas, increasing by 20% as families in crisis force young girls into early marriages for perceived protection and survival. Meanwhile, more and more children are being pulled out of school, further limiting their futures.
Women and girls with disabilities are even further marginalized, facing at least two to four times higher risk of violence than other women. With vital services crumbling, their access to support and protection is rapidly diminishing.
The ongoing crisis in Myanmar is deepening gender inequality and threatening the safety, health, and futures of millions of women and girls.
Meeting the Needs of Women Survivors in Myanmar
Since 2021, we have been working with a locally registered partner to support Rohingya women and adolescent girls in Northern Rakhine State and in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Through this partnership, we provide life skills, vocational training, and basic literacy and numeracy education to help women and girls build confidence and resilience.
We also support our partner in delivering joint classes for men and women, particularly family members of the adolescent girls enrolled, as a means to shift deeply entrenched views of women’s roles and participation. These sessions incorporate elements of Women for Women International’s Men’s Engagement Program (MEP) curriculum, which we licensed to our partner to develop their own Adult Engagement Program.
Additionally, our partnership provides teacher training, capacity strengthening, and financial support to local community teachers, along with educational materials for both male and female students.
Bringing Hope Through Education: Supporting Rohingya Refugee Children
In the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, education is a beacon of hope for Rohingya children who have endured displacement and hardship. Yet, without essential school supplies, many struggle to access learning opportunities. Recognizing this urgent need, Women for Women International (WfWI), in collaboration with our partner, worked to procure and distribute vital educational materials to six community-based organization (CBO) run schools, ensuring that refugee children can continue their education.
“In the camp, resources are scarce. There were many times when I had to make do with what little I had—sometimes borrowing books or using old notebooks—but it was never enough to fully reach my potential.” - Thohura
In October and early November 2024, our local partner distributed educational supplies for Rohingya students through six CBOs partners; New Life, Bright Life, Rohingya Women Association for Education & Development (RWAED), Youths for Rohingya Development (YRD), Rohingya Advancement Committee (RAC) and Nurture Aid Initiative for Rohingya (NAIR). A remarkable 2,253 children received materials, with 36% of them being girls, surpassing the initial goal for female students.
“Not only did these supplies help me succeed, but they also gave me hope. I felt like someone believed in me and my future. With my new tools, I even started helping other students in the camp who were facing the same difficulties I once did.” - Thohura
Every notebook and every pen serves as a reminder that education remains a powerful tool for change - even in the most challenging circumstances. Together, we are helping Rohingya children reclaim their right to learn and equipping them with the knowledge to shape a better future.
“Living in Camp 5, E-2, hasn’t always been easy, but it has taught me resilience…I know that success doesn’t come overnight, but with dedication, I can accomplish anything.” - Shehena
Amplifying Women’s Voices
Women affected by conflict often go unheard in decisions that shape their futures. At Women for Women International, we believe their voices must be at the heart of solutions. That’s why, as part of our global consultation project “Amplifying the Voices of Women Survivors of War”, we worked with our local partner to gather critical data from women in Myanmar and Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Their experiences and insights have contributed to our global advocacy efforts, culminating in the presentation of key findings at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2024.
In August 2024, WfWI and our local partner conducted 228 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and 29 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) across conflict-affected regions.
In total, we reached 228 women through individual surveys in Myanmar and 268 women through FGDs, surpassing our original target and ensuring that more women had the opportunity to share their perspectives.
The collected data was submitted to our team for in-depth analysis on August 14, 2024, feeding into the ‘#SheDares. Will You?’ campaign and the global consultation report, “From Asking to Action”, presented at the UN General Assembly in September 2024.
Some key findings from this report include:
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96% of the women reported violence impacting women in their communities.
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Only 25% of the women we spoke to reported having received some form of relief and recovery assistance.
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71% of the women recognized the key role that women have to play in both conflict prevention and response.
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81% of the women consulted are hopeful and expectant that their circumstances will improve in the next 5 years.
By ensuring that the voices of women survivors of war are heard at the highest levels, we are not just listening - we are driving action for change. That is the power of women, for women.
Enhancing Community Teachers’ Capacity and Rohingya Adolescent Girls’ and Women’s Literacy in Bangladesh Refugee camps
This project aims to enhance education access and quality for Rohingya adolescent girls and women in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, while also strengthening the capacity of community teachers. The initiative addresses the gaps left by the closure of UNICEF-supported learning centers and the broader lack of professional training for refugee-run community schools and focuses on adolescent girls (ages 14–17), adult women (ages 18–40) and community teachers.
The project will deliver a 10-month Non-Formal Education (NFE) program that includes literacy, numeracy, life skills, and vocational training for girls and women, alongside teacher training that emphasizes child-centered pedagogy, gender sensitivity, and safeguarding practices. The training draws on a proven curriculum developed with support from Women for Women International (WfWI), adapted to the specific needs of the refugee context.
The rationale stems from systemic educational shortcomings in the camps, including inadequate integration of the Burmese-language curriculum and a lack of trust in formal learning centers. Cultural and gender-based barriers further limit access for girls and women, while undertrained teachers, despite their dedication, struggle to provide quality instruction. As community schools become the primary source of education due to funding cuts, this project provides a timely and sustainable solution. It will not only improve educational outcomes for marginalized girls and women but also empower community teachers to create safer, more inclusive learning environments. Ultimately, the project aims to build a resilient, community-led education model that can adapt and thrive despite ongoing challenges in the refugee education system.
