Introduction
As we have entered the new millennium, the
rights and status of women in society have gained paramount worldwide concern
among policy makers and civil society alike. Meanwhile the integration of
women to the mainstream development process has pushed women’s issues from
the private sphere of life to the public. However the question remains whether
the process has helped to reduce repression against women or opened up new
avenues for exploitation. While domestic violence against women has always
been a general feature of the social structure of both rich and poor nations,
women’s increased participation in outside activities has endangered her
external security as well. Incidents of rape, gang rape, acid throwing,
sexual harassment and violence at the work place, eve teasing and the like,
have not only increased recently, but have also turned much more ominous.
We already know that gender-based violence is deeply associated with the
existing patriarchal social structure, which is also manifested and reproduced
in the legal system of the nation-states.
Nevertheless, the recent upsurge in gender-based violence poses the question
as to whether the increase is only a demonstration of the existing patriarchal
societal structure or whether other factors too are at play. It may be presumed
that the increase in the incidents of gender-based violence might be linked
to other factors such as the rapid deterioration of law and order situation
or problems of governance and the like.
Objectives of the Study
As a topic of research, the author decided to primarily focus on whether
there exists any linkage between the increase in gender-based violence and
the law and order situation. It must be clarified that the author does not
intend to view the issue as a separate entity, excluding the existing patriarchal
system. Rather the objective is to explore whether women’s increased activities
in the public sphere have jeopardised her basic security at the external
environment and if so, how this has taken shape.
There are also several other objectives in carrying out research on the
proposed topic apart from the general objective of establishing a relationship
between the continuous deterioration of the law and order situation and
gender-based violence. The study aims to focus on the role of the law enforcing
agencies vis-à-vis women security. It also attempts to look into the social
response to the role of irresponsible acts of the law enforcing agencies.
More specifically, this paper attempts to:
– provide a basic outline regarding the number, extent and types of gender-based
violence relating to the law and order situation of Bangladesh, the author’s
home country;
– point out the perception of the general public regarding the state of
law and order situation, increasing violence, specifically gender-based
violence;
– look into the existing legal framework and make probable suggestions for
revision/enactment of new law;
– draw out from discussions with experts in this field measures to raise
the concern of the state machinery to prevent such acts of violence, raise
social consciousness and to bring out specific recommendations for the improvement
of the law and order condition of the country;
– investigate as to why repeated incidents of violence against women are
carried out in spite of extensive media exposure.
Research Methodology
Phases of the Study
While conducting the entire research, the author divided the period of study
into several phases. In the first phase the author consulted with women
activists on how to conduct the study and its plausibility. The author carried
out archival research during the second phase of the study and consulted
with the supervisor to determine the questionnaire. In the third phase,
the author conducted field visits and completed the write up in the last
phase.
Variable Identification
The arguments of this study have been developed by examining both a set
of internal and external variables. The internal variables are those which
directly influence the framework of relationship between the law and order
situation and gender-based violence. Examples of such variables include
the members of the law enforcing agencies, the victims and the perpetrators.
The author identifies as external variables the broader context that determines
the nature and characteristics of the internal variables. Thus the societal
characteristics of Bangladesh along with the pattern of behaviour and activities
of different sections of the society have been considered as the set of
external variables.
Preparation of Questionnaire
When preparing the questionnaire, the first target was to identify the perception
of the general public regarding law and order situation in our country and
second their perception on gender-based violence and its relationship with
the overall condition of the law and order situation. As a first step the
author prepared a set of “test questionnaire”, comprising fifteen questions,
to determine the sensitivity and understanding of the general public to
these issues. Evaluating the preliminary response, several questions were
eliminated after extensive consultation with the author’s supervisor to
ascertain a plausible conclusion on the matter. The questionnaire has been
added at the end of the work in the Appendix 3.
Sources of Information and Collection of Data
The study is based on both primary and secondary sources of information.
The primary source comprises mainly interviews from a cross-section of society.
The author, along with assistants, interviewed 180 people in the Dhaka City,
the Narayanganj City and a village named Begunbari at Savar, near Dhaka.
The interviewees were selected randomly. However as one of the aims of the
study is to outline the gender perspective regarding the existing law and
order situation of the country, the greater number of the interviewees were
female. A limited number of males were also interviewed to compare and contrast
their perspectives regarding the impact of law and order situation upon
women, with that of the former group. The following areas were considered
when conducting interviews:
a. Religious Representation: Interviews in the city of Narayangonj were
conducted mainly in Hindu dominated areas to ensure the inclusion of the
viewpoints of the largest religious minority group in Bangladesh.
b. Politico-ideological Orientation: Based on the trends of the results
of the last national election (1996), the areas were selected on basis of
politico-ideological perception of its population. Thus varying perception
between government party supporters and opposition party supporters could
be identified.
c. Urban-Rural Representation: Inclusion of the perspectives of both the
urban and rural areas was also an important criterion.
In total, 180 people were interviewed in the areas of Dhaka city, the Narayanganj
city and a village named Begunbari at Savar, near Dhaka. In the city, 80
people were interviewed on a random basis. Another 100 people were interviewed
in Narayanganj and in Begunbari, exactly 50 in each area.
The secondary sources constituted mainly of reports on gender-based violence
published in different newspapers; the reports of human rights organisations
on both gender-based violence and law and order situation and the established
scholarships available in Bangladesh on gender-based violence. To find out
the necessary materials in this regard the author also carried out an archival
research. The national newspapers scanned for the purpose of the research
included The Daily Star, Dainik Prothom Alo, Dainik Janakantha, Dainik Bhorer
Kagoj, The Independent and the Weekly 2000. Human rights reports published
by the Ain O Salish Kendra and Odhikar, two of the leading human rights
organisations of Bangladesh, were also consulted.
Organisation of Materials
This introductory section contains the research methodology, problems of
data collection and other related issues. Apart from the introductory, there
are seven more sections in the study. Section 2 deals with definitional
issues like that of gender-based violence, the recognition of the issue
within the broader framework of human rights etc. In Section 3 the paper
tries to illustrate a South Asian view regarding gender-based violence.
In this connection, country reports of India, Nepal and Pakistan have been
discussed to examine the condition of women in those countries.
The fourth Section attempts to represent the major focus point, i.e. the
status, position and security of women in Bangladesh with respect to the
country’s law and order situation. This is a more descriptive section where
the reasons behind women’s marginalisation in society, women’s standing
vis-à-vis men in receiving equal opportunities in society and the existing
legal safeguards available for women in Bangladesh are discussed. The state
of law and order situation has also been presented to establish the relationship
between the law and order situation and gender-based violence.
In Section 5, the findings of the study are discussed. The nature and intensity
of gender-based violence based on both secondary and primary materials constitute
the major discourse of this section. Section 6 contains remarks of the author
derived from the study. The final section while highlighting some recommendations
that could help alter the prevailing situation in line with the entire study
then draws the conclusion of the study. The author ends up with identifying
some areas for further research on the topic.
Limitations and Problems of Research
Inadequate Scholarship
One of the major problems that the author encountered was the lack of adequate
scholarship in the area of research. Though a good number of organisations
in Bangladesh are working on women’s issues, like the Women For Women, Nari
Shanghati etc. the author could find only a limited number of systemic research
work on the issue of gender-based violence in Bangladesh. Most of the research
works done so far on women’s issues are mainly related to economic, social
or legal issues. The issue of gender-based violence has been a matter of
concern mainly from the 1980s. However, several research works done in Bangladesh
have been particularly helpful in conducting the research. These works are1
:
• Akanda, Latifa and Ishrat Shamim; Women and Violence: A Comparative Study
on the Rural and Urban Violence against Women in Bangladesh; November 1984,
published by the Women For Women (WFW);
• Jahangir, Borhanuddin Khan; and Zarina Rahman Khan (eds.); Bangladeshe
Nari Nirjaton (Violence against Women in Bangladesh); 1987 published by
the Samaj Nirikhkhan Kendra;
• Jahan, Roushan; Hidden Danger: Women and Family Violence in Bangladesh;
1994; published by the WFW; and
• Jahan, Roushan and Mahmuda Islam; Violence against Women in Bangladesh:
Analysis and Action; 1997, published by the WFW.
Problems of Data Collection
a. Psychological barriers of the interviewees: The sensitivity of the research
topic often created various forms of psychological barriers among the interviewees.
In general, the people seemed quite hesitant to give their impressions about
local violence and terrorism. The author had the impression that the extent
of terror had already created a sort of mental block among the people. Female
interviewees were particularly to talk about sexual harassment for obvious
social reasons along with the fear of local terrorists. Thus, finding out
accurate information to portray the reality of gender-based violence caused
by the deteriorating law and order situation was often very difficult.
The issue of gender-based violence is also particularly sensitive in a predominantly
Muslim country like ours where education does not play a major role. Physical
violence perpetrated by husbands towards wives or fathers towards daughters
is accepted as normal by society. Therefore, almost all the respondents
answered the question whether they had ever been victims of physical violence,
in the negative. This question was then rephrased to, what do you understand
by “gender-based violence”.
While carrying out this research, I encountered a derogatory attitude in
the male interviewees who simply could not understand the reasons for conducting
a study particularly for women. They considered it both a waste of time
and money to discuss such issue. We were even threatened and advised to
leave the place at Begunbari, Savar and were accused of asking people questions
on sensitive and ‘private’ issues.
b. Political bias: Sometimes the extent of political commitment of a respondent
affected the objectivity of his/her answers. The author tried to overcome
this difficulty by maintaining a more or less equal representation regarding
the nature of political commitment of the respondents. |
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