Marriage and Sexual and Reproductive Health of Rohingya Adolescents and Youth in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study

1. MARRIAGE AND SEXUAL AND
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH OF
ROHINGYA ADOLESCENTS AND
YOUTH IN BANGLADESH
SRH Working Group
Sayeman Beach Resort, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
February 28, 2019
Joseph Falcone
Consultant, Researcher, Population Council
joefalcone1969@gmail.com WhatsApp: +959261780487
Bangladesh Cell: +8801302691626

2. 2
Rohingya Population in Bangladesh
• Over one million displaced
Rohingya reside in two
Upazilas of of Cox’s Bazar
(Ukhia and Teknaf).
• 60% of these are below age
18
• Historically, the Rohingya
population has been
understudied
• Lack of data and information
on demographic profile,
marriage, SRH, family
planning, child bearing and
service seeking behavior

3. 3
• To assess SRH needs of Rohingya
adolescents and youth
• To assess the availability, and accessibility of
SRH services to Rohingya adolescents and
youth.
• To identify gaps and challenges from
demand and supply end that can be used to
design the provision of SRH services to this
vulnerable group in more effective way.
Study Objectives

4. 4
Methodology
• Qualitative study: in-depth interviews, focus group
discussions
• Respondents: approx. 200
– Rohingya Adolescents and Youth (aged 14-24)
– Influential adults from Rohingya community (Majhees &
Imams)
– Elderly Rohingya women
– Service providers
– Program managers
– Young people from Host Community
• Ethical procedures have been followed and approved
by IRB (Institutional review board)

5. 5
• Seven Research Assistants:
– Masters/university graduates
from anthropology, social
sciences, international
relations
– Language: fluent in
Chittagonian language
(60-70% similarity with
Rohingya)
• Six Rohingya Volunteers:
– Assist research assistants to
bridge the gap in terms of
language (Rakhain ßà
Chittagonian)
• Council Researchers
• 6 days training
Research Team and Training
Combined training of research assistants with Rohingya
volunteers inside the Camp (@ office of RTMI)

6. 6
Data Collection
• Study area: 5 camps
(marked blue in the
picture) out of 20
• Enumerated 40 HH in
each camp and select 10
adolescents randomly for
interviews from each
camp
• Data Collection: July-
August, 2018

7. FINDINGS

8. 8
• Strong preferences for child marriage and these
existed despite state control to curb the practice.
• A consistent pattern of difficulty in marriage
registration and monetary transaction have been
reported.
Reflections on Marriage Prior to
Bangladesh
A lot of money was spent to register the marriage. As I was 17 years
old, we had to bribe our community leaders. We had to wait for 10
days after paying 3.5 lac in the army camp to get our name
registered. All these things were done as getting married under 18
years age was not permitted there.
“ “
– IDI, Married woman, age 19

9. 9
• Child marriages are on the rise
• Arranged marriages and dowry exchange prevails
• Not enough eligible groom
Marriage Practices Inside the Camps
Number of marriageable girls has increased [more] than
number of eligible grooms. Many men have been killed in
Myanmar. Many men are living in Malaysia or in other foreign
countries. As a result, in every house there are 3, 4, or 5
unmarried girls.
“
“
– IDI, Married woman, age 20
Here (in camp) marriages can be performed easily. There is no
restriction on age for marriages. …There is no rule of law relating
to marriage in camp. … No registration is required here as it was
in Myanmar.“
“
– Adult Rohingya woman, FGD

10. 10
• Religion plays a major role in the preference for
large family size
Family Planning and Child Bearing
Norms and Practices
“ “..the Huzurs (Muslim religious
leaders) tell us not to use a
contraceptive method.
Contraception is a sin. Allah
made women fertile so that
they can bear children.
– IDI, Married woman, age 21

11. 11
• Stigma and misconception about contraception is
widespread
• Association of contraception with immorality is
common
• Inadequate knowledge about HIV/AIDS and STI
Societal Norms and Gatekeepers
The contraceptive user will lose her fertility. ..contraceptive
methods will cause irregular menstruation and prolonged
menstrual bleeding“
“
– IDI, Married woman, age 20

12. 12
• Use of contraception for health reasons is
acceptable.
• Injection and oral pills are the two most
popular methods
Opportunities for Promotion of Contraception
“After coming to Bangladesh, some are learning the difficulties of
having many children and consulting with the service providers of
different organizations. Some are now using contraceptive methods.
(Majhee, FGD participant)
“
– Majhee, FGD participant

13. 13
• Home birth is common practice
• Reproductive health services
are often available but
inaccessible for the Rohingya
adolescents and youth in the
camps.
– Restricted mobility of girls
– Adolescent boys and young men
hardly visit SRH service delivery
points
Service Seeking Behavior and Practices

14. 14
• Rohingya consider living in camps safer than
living in Myanmar
• Rohingya respondents denied knowledge of
cases of trafficking, or forced/ transactional sex
• Feeling of insecurity among the girls
Safety and Security
“
My husband is not present here.
There is no male in our house. I’m
living here with my two children
and my younger sister. So I’ve
always a fear of getting molested
or being robbed, or what if
someone steals my children
“
– IDI, Married girl, age 20

15. 15
• Perceives Rohingya as both social and economic
threats
• Host community reported incidents of violence and
involvement of Rohingya men in smuggling and drug
peddling
• Alleged Rohingya girls for involvement of
transactional sex, marriages with Bangladeshi men.
• Felt ignored by the NGOs and service providers
Perspective of the Host Community

16. RECOMMENDED
ACTIONS

17. 17
• As traditional cultural beliefs and practices
impedes access to health care, community
Health Education need to be prioritized and
different groups of actors need to be engaged
– Engage community members and religious leaders
in designing programs
– Raise awareness among the elder Rohingya women
about SRH and engage them as agents for positive
change
– Mobilize Majhees to working with husbands
1. Community Health Education need to be
prioritized

18. 18
• Reach out to adolescents rather than waiting
for adolescents to reach out
– Use of mobile outreach
– Engagement of Rohingya volunteers along with
service providers
• Health education tools responsive to low
literacy level
2. Expand Efforts to Improve Adolescent SRH

19. 19
• Invest in safe spaces to increase girls’ social
interaction and sense of safety in camps
• Child marriage itself and then not getting
registered is also violation of rights.
Awareness raising messages can be
coupled with other services and programs.
3. Invest in Girls’ Friendly Spaces

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