Call on the Australian Government to ensure Rohingya women who have survived sexual violence have access to support services, and that the perpetrators are brought to justice at the International Criminal Court.  

Content warning: sexual violence

Since 2017, Myanmar’s military has attacked entire villages and killed countless thousands of people from the Rohingya ethnic minority. 

Rohima*, pictured above, is one of them. “I couldn't escape by myself,” she says. “Approximately 5 or 6 of them [the military] came and raped me.”

Survivors like Rohima are now living in Bangladesh’s refugee camps. Thousands of Rohingya women here have lived through sexual violence at the hands of soldiers and are now dealing with the after-effects.

Rohingya women subjected to sexual violence must be given psychological and health support to rebuild their lives.

Women also need recourse to justice: the brutal crimes of the Myanmar military must be referred to the International Criminal Court and the perpetrators held to account.  

As a member of the Human Rights Council, the Australian Government has the power to put these crimes on the international agenda. 

Australia can also direct funding from its humanitarian program towards vital health services for Rohingya women living in Bangladesh’s refugee camps.

Pressure from thousands of people has already convinced the Australian Government to sanction leading Generals in the Myanmar military. We now need to push our government to step up again.

Call on the Australian Government to hold perpetrators to account and fund the services women need to rebuild their lives.

 *name has been changed for anonymity