Abstract
This paper investigates how Rohingya refugee women in Cox’s Bazar achieve economic empowerment under conditions of severe constraint. Although existing literature identifies self-controlled capital, social support, and self-efficacy as critical factors in refugee livelihoods, most studies examine these separately and outside closed camp contexts. We argue that empowerment should be understood not only as income stability but also as the expansion of women’s agency and capacity to make strategic life choices. Drawing on qualitative data from the Community Business Program in Camp 14 (2022–2024), we find that self-controlled capital or self-efficacy independently suffice for enhanced economic empowerment, while social support, though not necessary, amplifies outcomes. These findings show that holistic programs integrating capital, social support, and confidence in themselves can move refugee women from surviving to thriving.