Displacement and the Reframing of Reproductive Autonomy: A Case of Rohingya Women in India

Women’s narratives are often absent or distorted in theorisations of displacement, reflecting an ‘androcentric’ international human rights framework. This paper examines the transformation of gender roles and reproductive rights among Rohingya women in Indian refugee camps. Based on qualitative research in the National Capital Region of Delhi and Haryana districts, I argue that displacement operates as both a barrier and a catalyst, reconfiguring public–private boundaries and enabling subtle negotiations of power. Women’s life histories reveal strategies of mobility and agency within oppressive structures. By integrating discussions on marriage, family planning and childbearing, the paper challenges reductive refugee stereotypes and advocates centring reproductive rights in policymaking.