Time for world to step up and protect Rohingya women

The plight of the Rohingya people continues to worsen with each passing year. Since the brutal military crackdown in Myanmar in 2017, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have sought refuge in neighboring countries, primarily Bangladesh. While the world focuses on the sheer scale of this humanitarian crisis, a more insidious and horrifying trend has emerged: the trafficking of Rohingya women and girls. A report published last month, “Nightmare Passage: Inside the Rohingya Trafficking Network,” by Razia Sultana and Khin Maung from Kaladan Press Network, provides a chilling account of how the vulnerabilities of this already persecuted population are being exploited by traffickers.

According to the report, the increase in border crossings over the past few years has created fertile ground for trafficking networks to operate with near impunity. Women and girls who are fleeing violence and deprivation find themselves in dire circumstances that traffickers exploit with ruthless efficiency. Deprived of citizenship in Myanmar and subjected to brutal discrimination, Rohingya refugees lack legal protections and often resort to desperate measures to escape their predicament.

The trafficking of Rohingya females often begins with false promises. Women and girls are lured by offers of employment, marriage or safe passage to countries like Malaysia, Thailand and beyond. Once they fall into the hands of traffickers, however, their plight worsens. Many are subjected to forced labor, sexual exploitation or coerced marriages. The report underscores the role of sophisticated trafficking networks that operate across borders, with complicity or neglect from local authorities often enabling these crimes.

In the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, where close to a million Rohingya reside, the risks are particularly acute. Overcrowded conditions, limited access to education and extreme poverty make women and girls especially vulnerable to exploitation. The Kaladan Press Network’s findings detail how traffickers infiltrate these camps, preying on the desperation of families willing to risk everything for the chance of a better life. Women and girls are often separated from their families, smuggled across borders and sold into lives of misery.

The suffering does not end once these women are trafficked. The report highlights the harrowing experiences of survivors, who recount abuse, deprivation and the constant fear of being caught by authorities. Their statelessness compounds their vulnerability; without legal recognition, they cannot seek justice or protection, making them easy targets for traffickers and abusers.

The international community has been slow to respond to this crisis. While some attention has been given to the broader Rohingya exodus, the specific challenges faced by women and girls have not been adequately addressed. Governments in the region, including Bangladesh and Thailand, have struggled to balance border security with the protection of vulnerable populations. In many cases, trafficked women are treated as criminals rather than victims, further entrenching their suffering.

Without legal protection or access to justice, these girls are left voiceless, their suffering hidden in the shadows. 

Dr. Azeem Ibrahim

The report calls for urgent action. It highlights the need for better monitoring of trafficking networks, improved protections for Rohingya refugees and more robust efforts to dismantle the systems that enable trafficking to thrive. Addressing the root causes of this crisis requires a multifaceted approach. Refugee camps must be better equipped to provide education, economic opportunities and security for women and girls. Regional cooperation is essential to combat cross-border trafficking and survivors must be given the support they need to rebuild their lives.

The trafficking of Rohingya women and girls is not just a tragedy, it is a damning indictment of the international community’s failure to protect one of the world’s most vulnerable populations. The findings of this report are a stark reminder of the urgency of this issue. The voices of trafficked women must not be drowned out by the broader noise of the Rohingya crisis. Their suffering deserves attention and their protection must become a priority.

The sexual exploitation of Rohingya girls remains a harrowing, often overlooked aspect of their ongoing crisis. Forced into unimaginable hardships, many Rohingya families, struggling with poverty and displacement, find themselves in desperate situations where the exploitation of their daughters becomes an unintended consequence of survival. Forced marriages are increasingly common, with young girls sold or married off under the guise of protection or financial relief. These arrangements often mask severe abuse, with girls trapped in cycles of exploitation by those who claim to provide for them.

This grim reality is exacerbated by the lack of oversight in refugee camps and the broader statelessness of the Rohingya people. Without legal protection or access to justice, these girls are left voiceless, their suffering hidden in the shadows. Families, too, are powerless, caught between survival and exploitation.

The international community has largely ignored this silent epidemic, focusing on the broader humanitarian crisis while neglecting the gendered violence embedded within it. Governments and humanitarian agencies must recognize this exploitation as a critical issue. Only by addressing the systemic vulnerabilities of Rohingya girls — through education, legal protections and economic support — can we hope to end this cycle of abuse and restore their dignity. Their voices must no longer go unheard.

The world cannot afford to look away. Every trafficked woman represents a failure of humanity’s collective responsibility to protect the oppressed. As the report makes clear, the trafficking of Rohingya women and girls will only worsen unless concerted efforts are made to address the vulnerabilities that make them targets. Their safety and dignity depend on immediate, sustained and effective action. Let the harrowing stories within this report serve as a rallying cry for change. The time to act is now.

• Dr. Azeem Ibrahim is the director of special initiatives at the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington, DC. X: @AzeemIbrahim