Bangladesh, as a nation, has come far in terms of economic indicators, of that there is no doubt. However, social progress is one area that we are still lagging behind immensely, as a new report by Ain O Salish Kendra paints a dire picture of the state of harassment and violence committed against women.
According to the report, over the past nine months, total of 467 women were raped which resulted in the deaths of 32 individuals following the assaults, while 391 people fell victim to violence carried out by their own families, leading to the deaths of 235 women and 94 individuals taking their lives because of the domestic abuse they had faced.
To call these numbers appalling would be an understatement.
Violence against women remains among the gravest problems that still persist in our society, as about 50% of the female populace in Bangladesh has reportedly experienced physical or sexual violence at least once from their male partners, and that the brunt of the violence suffered by women is carried out at home is corroborated by the sharp rise in domestic violence against women during the pandemic.
It is truly depressing that, despite the increasing number of women joining the political ranks and the highest seat of power in the entire country being occupied by a woman, Bangladesh is still dreadfully behind when it comes to ensuring women the safety and security, due to a lack of which women in Bangladesh continue to experience unabated harassment.
At the root of it is a general lack of awareness and lack of respect for the rights, consent, and the bodily autonomy of women. In order to instill the kind of changes we wish to see, building awareness amongst the people remains the best way -- it must be stressed upon, again and again, that violence against women is absolutely unacceptable.
It is not enough to have women contributing to the economy, if their safety and security are not ensured as well.
