Sexual harassment is unfortunately far too common an experience for young women in Bangladesh.
Awareness and education need to be improved to root it out. Discouraging sexual harassment and encouraging dignity and respect for all, is essential to reduce discrimination and to help society tackle sexually related criminal offences including rape and stalking.
The lack of progress on this issue is particularly concerning in the education sector where attempts to address this problem have been grossly inadequate thus far. Even though the High Court has issued directives stipulating that all public and private institutions should form complaint committees to deal with allegations of sexual harassment and assault, recent reports indicate that this has been almost entirely ignored.
More dishearteningly, examples can be found where school authorities have sided with offending teachers against the student complainant in the name of preserving their reputation.
The government has also failed to enact a specific law to deal with sexual harassment, as was required by the High Court directive.
Sexual harassment is an insidious tool used to keep young women out of the public space and limit their access to education and economic opportunities. In the long run it has a devastating effect not only on the rights of women but also on the welfare of the country as a whole. The government and school authorities must take decisive action to prevent the harm that it causes.