As we work towards our goal of building an equitable nation, we must acknowledge that one half of our population remains on the receiving end of frequent acts of violence, and that is an issue that must be addressed with urgency.
Violence against women has been a prevalent phenomenon in Bangladesh -- and the world at large -- with astounding numbers of cases recorded. About 50% of the female populace in Bangladesh has reportedly experienced physical or sexual violence at least once from their male partners.
To say this is unacceptable would be a gross understatement. That cases of gender-based violence still exist in our nation proves that we are far from our goal of offering women the kind of safety and treatment that they deserve.
To that end, it is good to see initiatives like a recently organized UN Women Bangladesh event, which focused on exchanging lessons from the Combatting Gender-Based Violence (CGBV) project. The program aimed to design strategies to effectively bring violence against women to a stop, by thorough research, evaluation, and implementation of preventative measures.
As a criminal act that has unfortunately been rampant across the globe for ages, combatting gender-based violence requires extensive institutional and behavioral changes which will only be possible through concerted efforts from policymakers as well as the general public.
While we have made significant progress in certain areas, a lot more remains to be done. With the help of relevant organizations, advocates, and lawmakers, a systemic change must be ensured so that violence against women, in any capacity, is prevented.
Women are as integral to our nation, if not more, as their male counterparts, and if we are to guarantee their rightful place in society with equal benefits, we must first ensure that their human rights are not violated.
