Domestic Violence
DOMESTIC VIOLANCE AGAINST WOMEN IN BANGLADESH
Gender inequality is deeply embedded in the structure of the patriarchal society of Bangladesh. Male dominance and female subordination are the basic tenets of our social structure. All Bangladeshi social institutions permit, even encourage, the demonstration of the unequal power relation between the sexes and try to perpetuate the interests of patriarchy. Bangladeshi families offer instances of the display of male dominance in intimate relations in the form of marital violence,” says an impassioned Roushan Jahan, a co-founder and former president of Women for Women, a research and study group in her book titled Hidden Danger--Women and Family Violence in Bangladesh. Around the world, women suffer from poverty and discrimination more than men. However, the problem is particularly severe in South Asia, especially in Bangladesh. Violence towards women is often ignored as an issue of poverty, even though it results from a lack of power, resources, and freedom, as well as poor health.
According to Janet E. Jackson, the former deputy representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to Bangladesh, Bangladesh ranks fourth among the world's nations with respect to violence against women (Daily Star 14 Aug. 2008). Jackson observed that "'sixty-five per cent of Bangladeshi males think it is justifiable to beat up their wives, 38 per cent have no clear idea what constitutes physical violence and 40 per cent support keeping women socially dormant'" (ibid.).
In this discussion, we will try to explore the amount of violence women face and the different forms it takes considering below, (1) The factors or the causes of violence, (2) The consequences of violence, and (3) The awareness program for the abused women.
Before we start discussing these factors, let us first take a look at some statistics on violence against women in Bangladesh. Below data’s are taken from a recent study by ICDDRB and
Gender inequality is deeply embedded in the structure of the patriarchal society of Bangladesh. Male dominance and female subordination are the basic tenets of our social structure. All Bangladeshi social institutions permit, even encourage, the demonstration of the unequal power relation between the sexes and try to perpetuate the interests of patriarchy. Bangladeshi families offer instances of the display of male dominance in intimate relations in the form of marital violence,” says an impassioned Roushan Jahan, a co-founder and former president of Women for Women, a research and study group in her book titled Hidden Danger--Women and Family Violence in Bangladesh. Around the world, women suffer from poverty and discrimination more than men. However, the problem is particularly severe in South Asia, especially in Bangladesh. Violence towards women is often ignored as an issue of poverty, even though it results from a lack of power, resources, and freedom, as well as poor health.
According to Janet E. Jackson, the former deputy representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to Bangladesh, Bangladesh ranks fourth among the world's nations with respect to violence against women (Daily Star 14 Aug. 2008). Jackson observed that "'sixty-five per cent of Bangladeshi males think it is justifiable to beat up their wives, 38 per cent have no clear idea what constitutes physical violence and 40 per cent support keeping women socially dormant'" (ibid.).
In this discussion, we will try to explore the amount of violence women face and the different forms it takes considering below, (1) The factors or the causes of violence, (2) The consequences of violence, and (3) The awareness program for the abused women.
Before we start discussing these factors, let us first take a look at some statistics on violence against women in Bangladesh. Below data’s are taken from a recent study by ICDDRB and