Guest contributor
Noor Azizah
Despite our geographical distances—spanning Canada, the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand—the Rohingya women’s initiative has united us in our mission to advocate for human rights and rebuild our community.
Yasmin Ullah, Hafsa Tameesuddin, and I have long been engaged in human rights work through various initiatives, collaborating with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), states, and civil society. Our connection began on social media, where I admired their impactful work and hoped to collaborate.
Early in my journey, I lacked a Rohingya mentor to guide me in this critical field, leading us all to navigate independently through our experiences and challenges.
In 2023, Yasmin, our executive director, brought us together for a significant mission in Aceh, Indonesia bringing five Rohingya women, including newcomers Nur Hayat Sultan and Nurhayati Ali, together for a comprehensive training program.
We visited Pidie Camp, home to 151 Rohingya refugees, and conducted meetings with the women, children and men within the camp. Our journey continued to Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, where we engaged with politicians, NGO workers, and civil society organisations.
This mission highlighted critical issues, such as the lack of formal education for children in the camps. Thanks to our efforts, a commitment was secured from prominent NGOs to provide schooling for underprivileged communities. This was the beginning of our collective work. Today, as a team of seven Rohingya women, we continue to advance our mission, step by step.
We train young Rohingya girls to take on leadership roles within our community—an opportunity we didn’t have when we were growing up. People often ask why our organisation is both Rohingya-led and women-led.
The answer lies in our unique lived experiences as Rohingya refugees and women. These experiences—shaped by our identities and the specific challenges we face—cannot be fully comprehended or replicated by others. Lived experience cannot be purchased or learned through study. Our goal is to ensure that the voices of Rohingya women are prominently heard and remain at the heart of our advocacy efforts.
Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network (RMCN)
The Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network (RMCN) is a civil society organisation dedicated to promoting Rohingya-led responses to the myriad challenges faced by our community.
Founded and led by resilient Rohingya women with extensive experience in advocacy and civil society, RMCN operates from a place of deep personal understanding. Our leaders have first-hand experience with displacement, violence, and statelessness, driving our commitment to human rights through an intersectional feminist lens.
We advocate for justice, gender equality, education, and global solidarity, with a focus on amplifying the voices and autonomy of Rohingya women.
Our work is especially crucial in member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), where the Rohingya often remain overlooked. Our team members have experienced displacement within the region—myself for eight-and-a-half years in Malaysia, and our Yasmin for 16 years in Thailand.
These lived experiences underscore our expertise and commitment. We have faced challenges such as lack of medical care, separation from loved ones, and pervasive racism. Our proficiency in regional languages—Thai, Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Indonesia, Burmese, and Rohingya—reflects our integration into the region and resilience in navigating complex environments.
Meet the Leaders of RMCN
- Yasmin Ullah (Vancouver, Canada): RMCN Executive Director Yasmin Ullah is a Rohingya feminist, author, and social justice activist. Having fled Myanmar in 1995 and sought asylum in Canada in 2011, Yasmin has led significant advocacy projects and is currently the chair of the ALTSEAN-Burma board. Her work includes the “Time to Act: Rohingya Voices” exhibition and the “Genocide Learning Tool,” alongside her children’s book, “Hafsa and the Magical Ring.”
- Noor Azizah (Sydney, Australia): Director of Advocacy, International Relations, and Women’s Leadership Noor Azizah is a Rohingya refugee who resettled in Sydney, Australia. She has become a leading voice for Rohingya women. With a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Peace and Conflict Studies, Noor has been a prominent advocate at the U.N. and serves on multiple advisory panels. Her accolades include the NSW Young Women of the Year and the Global Citizen Youth Leader Award.
- Nuraisha Hanif (Indiana, U.S.): Director of Legal Advocacy and Community Outreach Nuraisha Mohd Hanif is an aspiring immigration lawyer currently working at Amazon and preparing for law school. Born in Malaysia and raised in the U.S., Nuraisha’s commitment to raising awareness about Rohingya issues and supporting her family showcases her dedication and resilience.
- Nur Hayat Sultan (Chicago, U.S.): Director of Youth Empowerment and Digital Literacy Nur Hayat Sultan is a software engineer. She has been actively involved with the Rohingya Culture Center since 2016. Her efforts include engaging policymakers and leading educational initiatives, including supervising an after-school program for children.
- Nurhayati Ali (Milwaukee, U.S.): Director of Health and Human Services Nurhayati Ali is a recent graduate in neurobiology. She is a community organizer in Milwaukee. With aspirations of becoming a physician, she is committed to empowering women and addressing health needs within the Rohingya community.
- Roshidah Noordin (Indiana, U.S.): Director of Financial and Community Services Roshidah Noordin immigrated from Malaysia to the U.S. She has recently graduated with a degree in accounting and sociology and is preparing for her CPA exam while working as an auditor, demonstrating the resilience and ambition fostered by her family’s sacrifices.
- Siti Ayub (Milwaukee, U.S.): Director of Education and Mental Health Services Siti Ayub is a graduate student at Marquette University. She is dedicated to educational advocacy and mental health support. Her experiences as a Rohingya in Milwaukee inspire her commitment to guiding students and advocating for her community.
Addressing Human Rights Issues for the Rohingya Community
Our recent initiatives have targeted crucial areas such as combating hate speech, providing emergency relief, and supporting education and mental health services for Rohingya refugees.
Key efforts include:
- Combating hate speech: Organised an art competition and webinar in Indonesia to address and counteract hate speech against the Rohingya.
- Emergency relief: Raised $5,500 CAD to support survivors of a boat that capsized, and an additional $6,000 CAD for Rohingya fleeing genocide.
- Support in Aceh: Successfully fundraised $50,000 CAD to provide essential supplies and safe housing for Rohingya refugees in Aceh, alongside psychosocial support for unaccompanied children.
- Education and capacity building: Facilitated university education for Rohingya refugees and provided laptops to enhance their capacity, supported by cultural preservation projects in partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières – MSF Australia.
- Program development: Collaborated with a forensic academy in Guatemala to develop a program focusing on missing persons, ensuring the Rohingya community’s plight is recognized and addressed globally.
Conclusion: A future of hope and resilience
Our journey reflects both our challenges and our resilience. As we continue to advocate for the Rohingya community, our vision is one of hope and empowerment, driven by our commitment to justice and the betterment of our people. Recent violence has once again ravaged our community, displacing and killing countless lives.
The Arakan (Rakhine) Army and the Myanmar military, in their relentless pursuit of power, have mirrored each other’s brutal actions, aiming to erase the indigenous Rohingya from our ancestral homeland in Arakan. We have been brutally dispossessed of our land, yet we persist. The path ahead is far from easy, but we draw strength from our collective spirit, a legacy passed down by our ancestors, guiding us in our collective struggle.
Noor Azizah is the co-founder of the Rohingya Maiyafuinor Collaborative Network, a women-led, Rohingya-led, and refugee-led organisation working on Rohingya human rights issues, SGBV, education, and translocal solidarity with a focus on women, peace, and security.
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