March 12, 2017
Desk Report
A Rohingya Women’s Organisation was inaugurated in Kuala Lampur on Saturday.
The organisation known as Rohingya Women Development Network (RWDN) was formed by Rohingya refugee women residing in Malaysia.
Sharifah Shakirah has been named as the founder and director of the organisation while Arifa Sultana is the co-founder and Secretary.
Activities of the organization however started in December last year amid horrific abuses committed by the security forces in the name of clearance operations. Hundreds of women from the Maungdaw North region are believed to have been raped and sexually abused, while many have been abducted and currently serving as sex slaves in military camps.
Speaking to Rohingya Vision TV, Shakirah said, “we want to empower women and solve their domestic problems. We are trying to instill confidence in them that they can play similar roles to men in building society.”
Shakirah pointed out the reason why Rohingya women are lagging behind in this day and age, “Due to persecutions and dangers surrounding the Rohingya people in Arakan for decades, women have always been lagged behind. However, in Malaysia which is better than Myanmar for Rohingya, with empowering women with education and skills, we can change how others see as a whole. We want to break that stereotype.”
The inauguration ceremony was attended by development workers and media personal in KL.
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