Violence against women remains a systemic crisis, affecting one in three women worldwide. A research report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in 2022 found that the total number of female intimate partner and family-related homicides worldwide was 450,000, with an estimated 17,800 victims in Asia in 2021.
Another report by Action Aid in 2015, covering seven cities in Bangladesh, revealed that women faced 84% verbal abuse, including derogatory comments and sexually colored abusive language, 57% experienced sexual harassment, and 22% lived in fear of rape in the past year.
Shahnaj Parvin, a nursing officer at the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM), mentioned that there are 44,000 nurses in health complexes across the country, with 26,000 providing maternal and child health services. A study following a year of the Covid-19 pandemic on workplace violence against Bangladeshi registered nurses on 1,264 nurses from two divisions showed that 70% of them were victims of workplace violence, and 14.8% were verbally abused.
The report also revealed that only five complaints were filed in the last six years, as nurses fear negative impacts on themselves, and even after filing complaints, they face harassment again.
Speakers emphasized that a large number of victims of workplace violence are women in professions such as nursing, midwifery, and healthcare. In Bangladesh, there is limited qualitative data on workplace violence and sexual harassment. Workplace violence (WPV) is defined as physical assaults and threats of attack directed toward employees, involving patients, families, and coworkers.
This was discussed at a roundtable, titled "Violence against Women and Impact on Professional Life of Nurses," organized by ProNurse project Cowater International, and supported by Global Affairs Canada with collaboration Dhaka Tribune. The discussion was part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, an annual international campaign running from November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to December 10 (Human Rights Day).
The program was held at Dhaka’s Krishibid Institution Bangladesh on Tuesday.Female nurses, comprising around 94% of Bangladesh’s nursing workforce according to 2019 Human Resources for Health (HRH) data, are a vital part of the healthcare system. Selina Ahmed, National Gender Equality Specialist of ProNurse of Cowater International highlighted the concerning reality of violence against women in nursing professions, impacting the healthcare system negatively. This year’s theme, “Invest to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls,” To prevent and protect against workplace violence, raising Nurse’s collective voice and influencing policymakers as a pressure group Bangladesh Nursing Association (BNA) should be functional.
Due to the patriarchal system, nurses, primarily women, are not immune to this hazard, facing physical, sexual, and psychological abuse in the healing corridors. Dr Selina Amin, Team Leader of ProNurse Project, moderated the program.
Shikha Biswas, the principal of Millennium Nursing Institute and former nursing superintendent at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, mentioned that many nurses endure workplace violence from their superiors due to various issues like transfer, higher education, forwarding, night duty shifting, placement, maternity leave, and holidays.
Kamal Chowdhury, Professor & Clinical Psychologist, Dept. of Clinical Psychology, Dhaka University emphasized there need to have a balance in gender-based power in the workplace, ensuring equal positions for women and men workers. We need to work on creating environment in families and society upholding the dignity and status of women resulting in healthy interactions between gender. We need to relearn our interaction with women at workplace. Safety nets must be ensured to protect the rights of women working in different sectors including health settings with zero tolerance for any forms of gender discrimination.
Taslima Begum, director of NIANER, expressed concern about the increasing number of nurses in the country without corresponding developments in their sector. She urged women in the nursing profession to speak up for themselves.
“Edward Cabrera, first secretary (development) at the High Commission of Canada to Bangladesh, emphasized the importance of working to eliminate gender-based violence beyond the 16-day campaign and the importance of nurses being safe in the workplace. He also shared that his sister recently graduated from nursing school in Canada and stressed the significance of providing a comfortable workplace for women in the nursing profession and enforcing existing laws and policies to ensure their safety.
Maqsura Noor, NDC (Additional Secretary) Director General of the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM), expressed the aim of ensuring security and safety for women in the workplace. She highlighted the vulnerability of women in disasters, wars, and conflicts, emphasizing the need to teach sensitivity to men in families. The DG pointed out that victim-blaming is a significant issue in the country, and addressing men's dominance is crucial for ensuring women's safety.
In this roundtable discussion also present were Momena Khatun, Health Technical Specialist, field support services project, GAC; Shanaz Munni, Chief News Editor, News 24; Sheepa Hafiza, Human rights activist; Dr. Rowshan Ara Begum, Gynaecologist, Holy family hospital; and Lutfur Rahman, Director, Breakthrough institute; Ismat Jahan, Head, National Trauma Counselling Centre, MSP-VAW, Women & Children Affairs.
Read More at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/inr.12802
What they said
Maqsura Noor, NDC (Additional Secretary) Director General of the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM) Our aim to ensure security and safety for women in the workplace. Always women are vulnerable in disasters, wars, and conflicts. To change the society, need to teach sensitivity to men in families. And the important part is that the victim-blaming is a significant issue in the country, and addressing men's dominance is crucial for ensuring women's safety. High court directives on Sexual harassment should be disseminated widely and to a form committee to be functional to at every institutes. To ensure the enforcement of this guideline MoWCA as focal ministry would get more attention along with other actors. To promote Gender equality men should be more engaged in this kind of awareness raising initiatives and they need to be more gender sensitive.
Shahnaj Parvin, nursing officer at the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM) In a survey following a year of the COVID-19 pandemic showed there are 44,000 nurses in health complexes across the country, with 26,000 providing maternal and child health services. A study following a year of the Covid-19 pandemic on workplace violence against Bangladeshi registered nurses on 1,264 nurses from two divisions showed that 70% of them were victims of workplace violence, and 14.8% were verbally abused.
Edward Cabrera, first secretary (development) at the High Commission of Canada to Bangladesh My sister recently graduated from nursing school in Canada. I know in this regard; how much effort is required to work in this profession. Working to eliminate gender-based violence should not be limited to the 16-day campaign. It needs to be a continue 365 days a year. It is important to provide a comfortable workplace for women in the nursing profession and enforcing existing laws and policies to ensure their safety.
Dr Selina Amin, Team Leader of ProNurse Project We want to draw attention to the concerning reality of violence against women in nursing professions, which ultimately has a negative impact on the healthcare system. Due to the patriarchal system, nurses, primarily women, are not immune to this hazard, facing physical, sexual, and psychological abuse in the healing corridors. In Bangladesh, very little qualitative data is available on workplace violence and sexual harassment. Only 4 to 6 % of the male nurses try to dominate female nurses, as the for nurses themselves not aware of their rights. Also, female nurses sometimes bear more workload related to non-nurse related work. Such as counting bed sheets, bed preparation etc. A few minutes delay in providing support for attending other patients or medicine indenting—- nurses receive tremendous verbal abuse from the attendants.
Selina Ahmed, National Gender Equality Specialist of ProNursen The concerning reality of violence against women in nursing professions, impacting the healthcare system negatively. Physical assaults and threats of attack directed toward employees are defined as Workplace violence. Nurses are experienced violence from patients, attendant, families, and co-workers. Because of patriarchal system and other socio-cultural factors, they are not protected to this hazard. If they are given proper respect then all forms of discrimination will be removed, here the nurses have to do non-nursing work as well, like different types of administrative work. Patient’s care should be Nurses prime responsibility as per their Job description.
Shikha Biswas, the principal of Millennium Nursing Institute and former nursing superintendent at Dhaka Medical College Hospital A large number of nurses endure workplace violence from their superiors due to various issues like transfer, higher education, forwarding, night duty shifting, placement, maternity leave, and holidays. They are not complaining, because victim blaming is coming to the fore, they are apprehensive of a negative situation and are dealing with harassment and abuse. They are worried about their evaluation paper, if the senior official gives a negative opinion, they will be deprived of many opportunities.
Kamal Chowdhury, Professor & Clinical Psychologist, Dept. of Clinical Psychology, Dhaka University There need to have a balance in gender-based power in the workplace, ensuring equal positions for women and men workers. We need to work on creating environment in families and society upholding the dignity and status of women resulting in healthy interactions between gender. We need to relearn our interaction with women at workplace. Safety nets must be ensured to protect the rights of women working in different sectors including health settings with zero tolerance for any forms of gender discrimination.
Taslima Begum, director of NIANER There are 3 things connected by the same thread in vulnerability: the workplace, nurses, and violence. Here they do not have separate security system, do not have separate duty room even. Increasing the number of nurses in the country without corresponding developments in their sector. I urged to women in the nursing profession to speak up for themselves, express our breath to the society.
Momena Khatun, Health Technical Specialist, Field Support Services Project, GAC A number of recommendations are coming out today from the discussion based on expert opinion. Development Partners have a place for special attention on these issues, they are advocating and engaging in policy dialogue with policymakers, administrators. The quality of care most likely to decline if nurses or any profession are faced verbal, physical or mental harassment at workplace. Appropriate measures need to ensure for preventing this violence with proper attention and improving the workplace environment.
Shanaz Munni, Chief News Editor, News 24 The attitude towards the nurses who go to get services from the society is not positive, we have come to know these complaints while working with this sector at different times. Our society has not yet become women friendly. I think that to overcome this situation, journalists also need to create awareness and create news to highlight the situation of nurses. Where their situation will unfold.
Sheepa Hafiza, Human rights activist Nursing is a selfless profession. Because they work through a lot of violence, they have a lot of mental strength. Therefore, investment in preventing violence in this sector is very important. Creating gender sensitive workplace situations requires intense investment. It should be included in budget and policy separately.
Dr. Rowshan Ara Begum, Gynaecologist, Holy family hospital Nurses should be given the opportunity to be prepared in their own way. Special emphasis should be placed on the quality of the training provided to them. Organizations should create an environment in which they can apply what they learn in the training on gender sensitivity in the workplace. Along with that, psychologists or counsellors should be arranged for nurses.
Lutfur Rahman, Director, Breakthrough institute A change is being made in some places even out of many negative views. We have done some surveys and talked to people in urban and rural slum' areas and found that the people they trust to speak their mind are health workers, nurses, and midwives. An example of this change is that they go to the health complex, receive regular family planning to maternity health care advice from these nurses and health workers, so this place of respect has been created among them.
Ismat Jahan, MoWCA`s representative, Clinical Psychologist & Head, National Trauma Counselling Centre, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, GoB There is a large number of female nurses who are victims of psychological violence, as well as the issue of sexual harassment. But they are afraid of being victimized, they are not complaining. Because they think that if they complain, their negligence will be blamed in the society. We have found cases where a female nurse is a victim of workplace harassment, and physically abused by their husbands.