UN Women National Committee Australia
Trek for Rights 2022
UN Women Australia's Trek for Rights 2022 takes participants to the wilds of Tasmania's Cradle Mountain to raise funds in support of Rohingya refugee women and girls in Bangladesh.
Story
Rohingya people have suffered systematic discrimination and targeted violence in Myanmar for decades. In August 2017, a deadly crackdown on Rohingya Muslims led hundreds of thousands to flee across the border to Bangladesh. They risked everything to escape on foot or by sea, in search of safety and a better life.
Today, more than 900,000 Rohingya refugees live in the largest refugee camp in the world, in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh. Life in the camp is not easy; conditions are crowded, and safety and security are ongoing concerns. In March 2021, a devastating fire broke out the in camp, destroying key infrastructure and leaving thousands of refugees without shelter and basic supplies. In crises like this one, the needs of women and girls are often forgotten, but not with UN Women. UN Women provides an oasis for Rohingya refugee women and girls through its seven Women's Centres in the camp.
UN Women's Centres provide education, vocational training, jobs, trauma counselling and a community for Rohingya women and girls. The Centres provide a safe space to connect. They offer information, raising awareness about violence, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, child marriage and trafficking. At UN Women's Centres, Rohingya women and girls develop leadership skills, are consulted about the running of the camp, and have their voices heard, their needs addressed and their rights protected.
So long as COVID-19 is present in the camp, UN Women's Centres will employ Rohingya refugee women to deliver prevention and education programs, and to manufacture and sell reusable face masks, empowering women to help stem the spread of the virus.
The funds raised through the Trek for Rights 2022 will support the Centres' education, training, health and job programs for Rohingya refugee women and girls. Your contributions help to ensure Rohingya refugee women and girls get the help they need, when they need it most.
Hear from Minara, a Rohingya volunteer leader who helps to educate other women in the community about gender-based violence and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse: