Refugee women in Malaysia have no protection against violence

Rohingya refugees attending a basic English class in Kuala Lumpur in October 2020. Stories shared with the Women’s Aid Organisation indicate that women refugees in Malaysia have little protection against sexual and gender-based violence. — AP

Refugee women in Malaysia are at significant risk of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) as a result of their lack of legal status in the country, the normalisation of violence within refugee communities, and the inaccessibility of protection and justice mechanisms, all of which are further exacerbated by xenophobia against refugees.

Drawing on the experiences of refugee women assisted by the Women's Aid Organisation (WAO), our latest policy brief, “Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Among Refugee Communities in Malaysia”, explores the prevalence of SGBV among refugee communities and the obstacles refugee women face in seeking help and accessing justice and protection.