A recent study called “Freedom to Move: Women’s experience of urban public transport in Bangladesh” conducted by ActionAid Bangladesh revealed that 84% of all women commuters surveyed said they were subjected to verbal and physical sexual harassment.
The findings of this study were presented at a meeting titled “Safe Cities and Public Space for Women’s Empowerment” at the Spectra Convention Center in Dhaka, yesterday.
Experts commented that safe public transportation system is a necessary prerequisite for women to be able to exercise their right to freedom of movement and their right to enjoying and using services without the threat of sexual violence or harassment.
However, the practical or strategic gender needs of women and girls are nor catered for, leaving them vulnerable to violence and less able to fully access their rights, they said.
Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid Bangladesh, said: “Women have terrible experiences while travelling on a public bus. She has to listen vulgar comments from male passengers which restricts her from availing public bus services.”
Men need to sop seeing women as sexual objects and start seeing them as human beings, said rights activist Khushi Kabir.
“When a girl is harassed she is being morally policed by patriarchal values that aim to restrict and control her human rights based on her gender and then when she tries to report such harassment, society blames the victim with a bias that stems from internalised patriarchal values.
“Everything from her attire to her character is blamed to explain the violence that is being inflicted upon her,” Khushi added.
The study found 88% of women reported some kind of verbal and physical harassment when they were out running errands; 62% of them said they limit their movement and have strict timings when they are moving about alone.
Unfortunately 81% of them felt they would not report to law enforcement as they were unhelpful and did not have any respect towards women.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
