Violence against women has increased, when we will get rid of it?
-
-
|
Photo: Collected
Dhaka: International Women's Day is celebrated around the world on March 8. The theme of Women's Day 2025 has been set as "Rights, Equality and Empowerment: Development of Women and Girls". But the reality is that women are still constantly subjected to violence, discrimination and torture in different parts of the world, including Bangladesh. A review of recent statistics and incidents shows that the level of violence against women and children has increased at an alarming rate.
According to the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, 2,362 women and girls were victims of violence in 2024, of which 1,036 were children. Of them, 486 were killed. In the first 11 months of 2024, 186 women and girls were raped, 13 were gang-raped and 3 were killed after rape.
According to the Bangladesh National Women's Lawyers Association, 186 incidents of sexual violence and harassment were recorded in September 2024 alone. However, the actual number may be higher, because many incidents are not reported.
If we mention the origin of Women's Day, we see that in 1908, 15,000 female workers took to the streets of New York, USA, to protest against wage discrimination, fixed working hours, and inhuman and unhealthy working conditions. This day has made its place in history since then.
However, the cruel irony of fate is that even after a hundred years, violence and discrimination against female workers is one of the main problems in the labor market of Bangladesh. They are not only victims of harassment by colleagues and employers, but are also deprived of their basic rights. They have to protest in 2025 to make maternity leave 6 months.
The safe working environment, equal wages, and healthcare for workers have not yet been ensured.
Not only that, this harassment is also being faced in the country's highest school, Dhaka University. In the classroom, they have to hear various ugly words from teachers or classmates. On the other hand, outside the classroom, women have to hear harsh words from university employees on the campus about their clothes. Recently, an employee of the Central Library of Dhaka University scolded a university student on the street for her headscarf. Although a case was filed in this incident, a group sat at Shahbagh police station all night to get her released. The next day, she was released on bail from the court and garlanded with flowers. On the other hand, those who spoke out for the girl who was harassed have been bullied on social media. Those who protested on this issue have been sent ugly messages to their inboxes. As a result, the girls are even more scared and many even fall into trauma. Each of these issues is against women's freedom. If this continues, women will never be empowered.
Women are constantly being subjected to violence in different parts of Bangladesh. Some of the recent incidents include the rape of an 8-year-old child in Magura, the harassment of two women for smoking in an open place in Lalmatia in the capital, and the molestation of a woman after a robbery on the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway.
Although many people living in society blame their clothes for violence against women, we often hear about rape of children in different parts of the country. Just a day ago, an 8-year-old girl was raped in Magura by the brother-in-law of the child's elder sister and then tried to kill her. This incident sparked nationwide criticism and the police have arrested the child's sister's husband and his father-in-law.
Although many people talk about equal rights for women, it is not observed in practice. This difference is more pronounced when it comes to law enforcement. Smoking in open places is a punishable offense. But in this society, even if boys or men smoke anywhere, bringing them under the law is almost like a new moon. However, if a girl smokes in an open place, the locals of that place start harassing the girls before the law enforcement agencies. This happened a few days ago in Lalmatia in the capital. After being harassed, the police came and took the two girls into custody. On the other hand, nothing was said to those who created the mob.
Last February, a group of robbers attacked a bus on the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway. After robbing the bus, the robbers harassed a woman. Initially, there were rumors of rape of the woman, but later the law enforcement agencies stated that no rape had taken place.
Each of the above incidents took place in the last 2 months. Behind these nationally emerging incidents, heinous crimes like cyber bullying of women remain hidden. However, despite various meetings, seminars, and rallies held every year on the occasion of International Women's Day for the development of women, women have not been liberated at all. Women in Bangladesh are constantly being harassed in some way or the other in every field, at home, outdoors, on the streets, in shopping malls, educational institutions, in vehicles, and on the Internet. After demanding justice after harassment, they are subjected to harassment again and also face the wrath of society. Many are forced to keep it to themselves even after being harassed. The women of Bengal live every moment in fear of what society will say, what people will say, what their neighbors will say, or whether their families will look down on them.
According to a study by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and UNFPA, about 70% of women in the country have been victims of violence at the hands of their husbands at least once in their lifetime, and this number was 41% in the last 12 months.
Due to weak implementation of the law and prevailing social norms, women are deprived of justice. In many cases, rape and torture cases go unreported. Or the victim is denigrated.
Violence against women is not just a personal or family problem; it is a national and global problem. To end violence against women, families, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, and governments must work together. We must ensure the rights, safety, and empowerment of women not just by celebrating one day of Women's Day, but through daily activities. To change society, we must change the mindset, and our commitment should be to ensure the respect and safety of women.
