Gendered and Racialised Vulnerabilities and Violence Against the Rohingya in Myanmar

Abstract

This chapter presents gender differentiated forms of direct, structural, cultural and symbolic violence experienced by the Rohingya while they were in Myanmar. The documented atrocities, committed mainly by the Myanmar military, have placed the Rohingya in a state of ongoing discrimination and oppression. Within Myanmar, Rohingya women face a dual burden: enduring physical violence and mental anguish from military and societal forces, compounded by the patriarchal structure within their own community. Structural violence, such as educational discrimination, pervasive poverty, and lack of access to social and community life have affected Rohingya women, men, and children differently. A gendered narrative of threat portrays Rohingya women as ugly and reproductive dangers to Buddhism, while Rohingya men are framed as threats to nationalism and Buddhism. These religious and cultural narratives have served to justify ‘othering’ and various forms of violence by the Myanmar military.