An assessment on surging crime, gender violence, and justice mechanisms in the Rohingya camps in Bangladesh

Abstract

The overcrowding, inadequate living conditions, patriarchal social structure, and easy access to drugs adversely affect the lives of Rohingya women and girls in the Cox's Bazar Camps in Bangladesh. Many Rohingya women report a lack of legal recourse for threats or harmful acts directed at them or their children. This raises a crucial question: What justice mechanisms are in place to remedy the victims' situations and address surging crimes and violence, considering the specific needs and challenges related to power dynamics, age, gender, and other diversity factors? This paper explores the intersections of gender, violence, and justice processes in the camps centering the experiences of women and girls through a feminist lens. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews with Rohingya victims, field observation, and discussions with relevant experts, this study demonstrates how systematic inequalities, patriarchal norms, and statelessness generate gendered violence and shape the functioning of the justice system in the camps. Using intersectionality as a theoretical framework, the analysis reveals that while informal justice mechanisms are the main means of receiving justice, they often perpetuate gender biases and fail to address the specific needs of women and girls. This is because of the absence of a particular legal framework for refugees, and the domination of Majhis and religious leaders in the informal justice system. Conservative religious traditions and cultural practices further obstruct victims from accessing justice. This article, therefore, has significant implications for addressing the increasing gendered violence and establishing women-led justice forums and capacity-building initiatives for community leaders.