Extreme violence and vulnerability for women and girls in displacement contexts

Abstract

In feminist research and practice, vulnerability has been widely explored from various perspectives. From the philosophical, seeing diverse bodies prone to in-juries and death, to legal and political perspectives of categorised inequality and dis-advantage. Social policy and humanitarian programs often use vulnerability to inform service intervention, seeing target groups as victims, powerless, or lacking autonomy. Such framings, however, can problematically reinforce and inadvertently contribute to victimhood, deprivation, and dependency. This chapter considers the experience of Rohingya women in the exploration of forced displacement vulnerability. This chap-ter draws from primary research and collaboration with Rohingya women and girls and shares vignettes from the Indo-Pacific that demonstrate some of the complex layering of imposed vulnerability and communities of strength and safe spaces for women and children.