For last fifteen years our country had been led by women Prime Ministers. Yet according to the last year’s report by Mahila Parishad the number of women falling victims of social injustice did not improve.
As we celebrate women’s day, and our netris make “speeches” on empowering women in Bangladesh, let’s look at some facts. Below are some very sad and alarming statistics (based on a report by Mahila Parishad, the actual number is likely to be much larger) –
6,054—-Total reported number of women tortured and killed
967—— Number of women raped and also tortured
141 —— Number of victims of molestation
176—— Number of victims of acid burn
71 ——–Number of victims of arson
342—— Number of women and children trafficked (18 sold to brothel)
274—— Number of victims in dowry related crimes (tortured by husband and in-laws)
478—— Number of women that committed suicide (family and relationship issues)
150—— Number of victims of police assault
66 ——- Number of victims of Fatwa
March 8th, 2007 at 11:03 am
ZaFa - Sad Indeed! Do the numbers represent certain year or period?
Wondering what the numbers are for men (just plaing devil’s advocate)?
March 8th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Yes Rehan, it is sad. The report was compiled based on January-December 2006 data. In most of these cases the victims do not come forward and report – due to social stigma and all that. So it makes me wonder if the problem is even more wide spread than that.
I assume the male victims are usually results of petty crimes or monitory disputes etc, probably not so much victims in the hands of their loved ones.
March 8th, 2007 at 11:37 am
I don’t understand how anyone can think of *playing* ANYTHING when it comes to the issue of naari nirjaton in Bangladesh! Are you wondering how many men and boys got tortured and raped by women?
Of course, many men and boys (as well as women and girls) are victims of violent crimes in a country where law and order is virtually limited to self-policing by ordinary citizens. Yet (and this is in a society where the Mother-figure holds prime position, and religious sentiments over-ride all other rational thoughts), women are victimized twice: on the streets, and within their homes, by their own folks: be it beating, rape, acid-burns, or just plain murder. Almost all of these crimes go unpunished. Rather, the victim is punished once more by social stigma and/or “for being the very cause of her own victimization.”
I don’t mean to pick on Rehan for perhaps a momentary lapse in your thinking — but the real sad and scary thing is, I fear, there may be not-so-insignificant a portion of our men-folk who may get seriously distracted by such frivolous, nay, inappropriate, rhetorical queries.
March 8th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
women are victimized twice: on the streets, and within their homes
Very true Ikram. A lot of times people would say she brought it on herself. Then it makes ways for keeping the women more under wraps. And the shariah promoters have their hay day.
In the western world the secondary abuse happens in court when the victims have to relive the episodes. Well that’s true for Bangladesh as well, if the case sees the light of court at all.
March 8th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Zafa dear
Im a shariah promoter, though not in the sense i guess you imagine. Gender injustice is not the foundation of that philosophy.
Im sure the figures are a great underestimate of what really goes on and the barriers in the society. do you have a link to or a soft copy of the report? is it anything other than a statement of the obvious?
I really dont know what to do on hearing or reading such things, its not the goverments fault, its society, govt cant be expected to fix all of this, nor can the current crop of modern NGOs. its men and women basically.
As religion (AKA backwardness) is always invoked as the cause of these matters i see the future through improving the practice of a more advanced and realistic form of it.
How do you go about changing the direction of the social stigma?
Starting with more and better female religious scholars with networks at the thana level and extensive credible and sovereign empirical action research on the matter.
Whats the attitude of the courts on these matters, when cases get as far as them?
March 8th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
fug, Shariah took the form of a decree (rather than a doctrine like the madhabs) hundreds of years after Muhammad’s (pbuh) death. It is conceivable that it skewed a lot from how it was perceived by the prophet (based on the revelations he received) and his follower.
Yes I know there was not supposed to be any gender bias. In fact Bibi Ayesha (pbuh) was what we’d call a feminist, even fought in the war, and very opinionated – nothing that bothered her family.
But the way shariah has been misinterpreted in Muslim countries, especially in Bangladesh – is the cause of a lot of unwarranted torture bestowed on women. Many battered women never come forward with the complain because they think it was the husband’s given right by Islam to “beat her up”.
March 8th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
I might get for shot for my statement, but the worst part of the present state of the female populace in Bangladesh is more tragic as both of the power houses in our politics are headed by women! I can assume the mental incapacity that the male population may have when it comes to providing equal rights to their female counterparts. But I fail to understand why the two former Prime Ministers didn’t introduce policies that could yield constructive results in terms of providing better rights to the population of their own sex. Was it simple politics? Is it true that, “No one can insult you without your consent?”. Comments from the our female friends welcome and for Gods sake dont start calling me a sexist!
Cheers
March 8th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
sufi, the netris are the puppets of the puppeteers – who are the real chauvinists. Their parties elected them chairpersons because of the sentiments that are prevalent in south Asian culture, because of their association with the founding members. Sonia Gandhi broke the norm by declining to be the head (smart girl). Nobody can deny that SH and KZ do not possess that kind of foresight. I doubt either one of them seriously care for the womanhood in BD.
March 8th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Fug, “…extensive credible and sovereign empirical action research on the matter…” Huh? What do you do for a living? *****************
And “…more and better female religious scholars with networks at the thana level…” for what? To bring our strayed men-folk, i.e. goonda-pandas as well as mou-lobhis in line?
[edited by UV admin]
March 9th, 2007 at 8:07 am
I pay my respects to my mother who kept me for nine months in her womb, and then tolerated me for however many years. I pay my respects to my Mrs who is raising a little girl with me. I pay my respects to my clever little girl. I pay my respects to my female relatives. Women of the world.
I’m relieved that my mother doesn’t cover her face when she goes out, and, as she puts in Bengali, “haria debo sharia!”.
March 9th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Question: are these statistics annualized or monthly? Because if they are annualized, considering the population base, and the inevitable under-reporting of abuse, it isn’t bad when compared to our neighbours, or even industrialized countries.
I for one will be waiting for a clarification before drawing any blanket statements of the state of our society.
March 9th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Muhammad: you said some very pertinent things. We all should appreciate the women in our lives, starting with our mothers.
Lazarus: I mentioned in my earlier reply (#2) that the data were generated based on reported incidents only (the actual number is presumably higher) for the year 2006, as reported by the Mahila Parishad.
March 9th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
First up, after re-reading my last post, I think an apology is required of me. Of course each and every case is a tragedy and an affront to polite society! My mother would be horrified (rightly so) if I claimed otherwise.
More than overt violence against women, however, I think the problem in Bengali society is that of “soft” violence/discrimination against women. Acid burn victims get a great deal of attention, but few ever actually attempt to analyze and address the underlying social strictures that lead to such attrocities. The compulsion to persist with abusive relationships by relatives (e.g. parents will not let daughter come home if husband turns out to be a brute) is one that comes to mind, as is the general societal inability to come out and admit that there is an actual problem (e.g. look the other way if woman has a prominent bruise on her face).
Until we can freely talk about these things, the bleak lot of abused Bangladeshi woman will not get any better.
March 9th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Is there any way to know how we are doing compared to other nations?
Personally I would like to see the numbers as Zeros, however if we are to think of a plan or a target we need to know how bad is this number, And I am sure there has been some research already done or beign done on the probable factors as well.
-Sharmin
March 9th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Sharmin, here’s a link to some statistics on sexual abuse in USA (courtesy Uttorshuri).
I know it is not very comparable in BD’s context, as much as would be with data from India or Pakistan (similar geography and culture).
Lazarus, here in UV we do not judge our readers, we just want to hear opinions, so we can all have something to think about.
There are some very good organizations in BD that are making efforts to rehabilitate these young women – victims of abuse of various degrees. I had the opportunity to visit one such place: the BNWLA (BD National Women Lawyer Assoc) shelter. It was a very humbling experience. I got to meet a few young girls who recovered from their abuse, took some vocational training, and are now working in the shelter as paid employees. I even got to meet the little girl Madhabi that http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2006/10/07/the-shame-of-it/ “>Drishtipat helped rescue by involving the human rights organizations in BD. We can do our bits by donating to organizations like these.