Fighting gender violence
According to a report published in The Independent on Friday the education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said the newly established Generation Breakthrough Project is a positive initiative to prevent gender-based violence and improve the reproductive health of the children and adolescents. This project has been implemented in four districts as a pilot project. Ministry of education is planning to scale up the project around the 64 districts. This is indeed welcome news in the midst of the general apathy surrounding the issue of gender violence.
Domestic violence in Bangladesh is an endemic social problem. Sections of the law enforcement authorities do not view domestic violence as a crime and on many occasions refuse to register the cases and give justice to the women.
Many factors are associated with domestic violence in Bangladesh. Illiteracy, social taboos and poverty are the main reasons of domestic violence. Lack of awareness about women rights and not getting support from government are also major factors. Besides this, in some traditional societies, women are tortured physically. Women are often subjected to physical, psychological and sexual abuse from partner, in-laws and family members. Another factor is early marriages in Bangladesh which is a curse for girls after the marriage the women virtually no life of their own.
There are many reasons for which females are facing domestic violence because high level of gender inequality and women occupy a low position in the male-dominated society of Bangladesh which is fast becoming a dangerous country in the world for women. The prosecution rates for domestic violence and sexual offences are dismally low, with women frequently too afraid to report the crimes or being intimidated into withdrawing complaints. There are many factors behind domestic violence increasing poverty, illiteracy and social taboos. Home is meant to be where we feel secure and safe but abuses and violence occur there. A woman lives in fear and pain. Domestic violence causes serious injuries, wound, fractures, sleeping disorder, suicidal thought and other mental and physical, psychological, social and emotional consequences.
Unless and until society is not stirred to establish a more embracing environment for its females sans any form of aggression, domestic violence would continue. Awareness campaigns along with efficient prosecution against all transgressors should be used to chalk up a public discourse that condemns violence against all weaker members of society. Physical aggression should be avoided on all fronts no matter who it is being committed against.
