The Rohingya Crisis

In August 2017, violence broke out in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, driving over 742,000 Rohingya people to seek refuge in Bangladesh. Today nearly one million Rohingya refugees live in Kutupalong camp – the world’s largest refugee camp – in the south of Bangladesh.

Quality education is difficult to access in any emergency context, however, for Rohingya girls living in the camps, the barriers are magnified. The majority of girls stop attending school once they reach adolescence, at the age of 10 or 11, due to social norms. Sociocultural barriers, safety concerns and economic factors combine to obstruct access to education for Rohingya girls. Parents limit their daughters’ participation in the public sphere to avoid mixing with men and boys, and to assist with domestic work in the household.

Improved gender-inclusivity and targeted interventions are needed to empower adolescent girls, including creating a safe learning environment by using gender-sensitive spaces, recruiting female teachers, and supporting menstrual hygiene management. Despite a high demand for female-only classes, Rohingya adolescent girls have severely limited opportunities to gain an education.

What is Maiya School doing to help?

Maiya School provides a safe learning space for adolescent refugee girls to get a quality education. Our project is evidence-based and supported by the local community, ensuring that the school is culturally appropriate and sustainable.

Read more about our Rohingya Project here.