WITH the progress of women empowerment and their participation in every single sector of the country, the incident of physical and sexual assaults towards women are rapidly increasing. Though the government claimed success due to the rise in the participation of women but truly it failed to battle sexual harassment during its 5 plus years rule. The unabated rise of the incidents of rape, stalking, and physical and mental violence against women have irritated people and brought about a feeling of insecurity in the society. The government’s indifference to combat violence against women, the increasing numbers of abusive presentation of women in films, dramas and commercials, the misrepresentation of women in religious and moral teaching, and a steady inflow of adult content through the internet have paved the ways to ignite such humiliating incidents. The recent data of different rights groups explicitly show the sharp increase in the incidents of rape, dowry related violence, stalking, and other forms of sexual harassment.
Referring to rights group Odhikar, a vernacular daily reported that between January and August 2014, 158 women were subjected to dowry violence, 414 females were reportedly raped, 155 girls and women were victims of sexual harassment, and 32 persons became victims of acid violence. Meanwhile, data collected from the Police Headquarters showed that a total of 11,913 cases were lodged with different police stations across the country in the last seven months. The number of cases was 19,601 in 2013, 20,947 in 2012, 21,389 in 2011 and 17,752 in 2010; though the figures of course do not represent the truth of such crimes as the victims and victims’ family usually remain reluctant to inform police. Nevertheless, police high-ups remark that such cases related to violence against women are recorded everyday, said the daily.
A January 2014 survey, jointly done by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and UN Population Fund, stated that about 43 percent of the 12,600 women surveyed in all seven divisions of the country have said public places are the most common spot where they are sexually harassed. The survey said nearly nine out of 10 husbands abuse their wives in Bangladesh — this means that an astonishing 87 percent of married women are abused by their husbands. The global scenario of women violence is no better than ours, as in the last week the UN reported that about 120 million girls around the world – slightly more than one in 10 – have been raped or sexually assaulted by the age of 20.
The violence against women has again attracted the limelight after two years as a Class-IX female student on last Saturday in the capital’s Nandipara killed herself by taking pesticide after being repeatedly insulted and verbally abused by local thugs.
Violence against women cannot be restricted only by law. There should be emphasis on creating a healthy socio-political situation. Overall law and order situation must improve. Our mastani politics is of no help to build a peaceful society and protect women from violence.
