Radical care in displacement

Rohingya women's activism amidst neoliberal humanitarianism and repression

Bibliographic Data

ID3620280
AuthorsTutku Ayhan (0000-0003-3828-0258, Binghamton University, corresponding author), Hannah Colpitts-Elliott (0009-0003-6419-1950, Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals)
Year2025
Volume51
Issue9
Pages2415-2433
Publication date2025-05-28
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueNew Community (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0047-9586 • E-ISSN: 1469-9451
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1369183x.2024.2415408
OpenAlexW4403519508
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited58

This paper examines the activism and care work of Rohingya women in displacement settings, focusing on grassroots efforts in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps and transnational advocacy by diaspora activists. Drawing on 43 in-depth interviews and applying a feminist ethics of care framework, we argue that these women's activism constitutes a form of radical care that challenges both neoliberal humanitarian practices and repressive state policies. Rohingya women activists forge networks of solidarity and empowerment that extend beyond conventional humanitarian interventions, providing emotional support and shared experiences that contribute to the social ecology of care for refugee women. Their grassroots work contests the neoliberal emphasis on individual self-reliance, instead highlighting the vital role of relational care in fostering collective resilience. However, these activists face significant risks from multiple sources, including state repression, community backlash, and online harassment. They employ strategies such as ‘strategic invisibility’ and digital activism to navigate these dangers. Despite the transformative potential of their work, it remains systematically undervalued, leaving activists vulnerable to burnout and depletion. By centering the experiences and agency of Rohingya women, this study reveals a complex landscape of resistance, care, and empowerment, offering insights into how refugee women create change amidst intersecting forms of oppression

Biology · Criminology · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Psychoanalysis · Psychological repression · Radical right · Sociology · Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography · Cambodian History and Society · Gender Studies · Law · Migration, Refugees, and Integration · Psychology

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