Storytelling Through Art: Rohingya women building solidarity and shifting narratives

In Cox’s Bazar, the Rohingya humanitarian crisis has entered its ninth year against a backdrop of significant funding shortfalls and large, unmet needs. Women and girls make up over half the refugee population and are disproportionately represented across the vulnerable: 96 per cent of single caregivers/parents are women; 91 per cent of children at risk are girls; 70 per cent of older persons at risk are women; and 57 per cent of people with serious medical conditions are females.

Funding reductions and pipeline gaps have gender-differentiated impacts, deepening risks for women and girls and reinforcing the urgency of solutions that amplify women’s voices, build their resilience, and place gender equality at the heart of the humanitarian response.

Against this backdrop, UN Women supports integrated protection and empowerment services through eight Multi-purpose Women’s Centres (MPWCs) and a Women’s Market, with generous support from the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Embassy of Switzerland and Embassy of Sweden in Bangladesh.

The photo essay showcases a mural-painting initiative in Cox’s Bazar MPWCs and the Women’s Market – safe spaces for women and girls – during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, from 25 November to 10 December 2025. This initiative built confidence among Rohingya women and girls by sharing tips on online safety and creating space for participants to freely express themselves.

The mural-painting was a community-led initiative focused on learning and collective action and inclusive participation in phased base painting, filling and detailing, coupled with skills-development and visual advocacy messaging training to foster women participants’ ownership and empowerment.

Six professional young women artists engaged by UN Women mentored and shared their skills with 42 women participants. Together, they created 12 murals for entrance gates and the walls of meeting rooms, training rooms, boundary walls, dining walls and the perimeter walls across three UN Women sites: Camp 3 MPWC, Camp 18 MPWC and the Women’s Market in Camp 5.

Sufia (name changed for her protection), a 20-year-old volunteer at the Camp 3 MPWC, never imagined she could paint a mural. “I always thought large-scale painting was a job meant for men,” she said.

But during the training, she learned colour coding, mixing and techniques for expressive mural art. For Sofia, each stroke of paint is more than an image on a wall; it is a symbol of confidence, choice and belonging for Rohingya women and girls: “Beyond the art itself, this experience taught me how to stay safe in both physical spaces and online.”

“I spend most of my time here, working five days a week,” shared one shopkeeper. “It feels like a safe space for me, where I can earn money to support my family. Some of us had never painted before, but this experience was so much fun! Through this art initiative, we worked together to make our market more vibrant and beautiful. I also learned how to use a mobile phone safely, which is very important for daily life.”

The Women’s Market is more than a place to earn a living; it has become a space for creativity, empowerment and community connection. For the women shopkeepers, mural painting was a new experience that challenged old assumptions and brought the market to life with colour.

The initiative highlights how art can spark social change and strengthen collective action and connection during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

A diplomatic delegation from Sweden also joined the mural painting during a visit to monitor its humanitarian support in Cox’s Bazar.

From blank walls to vibrant murals, the MPWCs and Women’s Market now tell a story of resilience, creativity and collective care. These artworks strengthen positive messaging for women and girls, showing how community spaces can foster empowerment and hope.

Rohingya girls from the UN Women supported Girl Shine Programme, a life skills and empowerment initiative for adolescent girls, also took part in the mural-painting. They shared that, despite initial lack of self-confidence, the process helped them feel a sense of belonging and collective strength through working together. By sharing memories and stories through colours and artwork, they found ways to turn their feelings into something tangible and beautiful, they shared.

Collaborating with professional artists made the process fun and exciting. The murals have since become a new favourite photo backdrop – celebrating creativity and the collective effort behind each piece.