Violence against women is not a new phenomenon of society,
but it is the newer dimensions of this violence that has made the issue
so important for the future of humankind. The study on "Law and Order Situation
and Gender-based Violence: Bangladesh Perspective" shows that women's insecurity
in Bangladesh not only arises from structural variables like patriarchy
and religious conservatism but also from other variables like the existing
law and order situation of the country. The law and order situation has
not only deteriorated in the recent past but has also made life insecure
for vulnerable social groups like women.
The recent incidents of Yasmeen's and Seema's rape cases and events like
the abuse of a woman on 31st night highlight the link between the severe
deterioration in the overall law and order situation of the country and
issues of gender-based violence. On one hand it shows the opening of a new
area of initiating violence against women in the existing patriarchal society,
which itself generates and perpetuates violence against women through various
other means. On the other hand, as it has been pointed out in the previous
section, the reproduction of the system and the co-relation between and
among its components have contaminated the entire system. What the need
of the hour is the political will to combat terrorism, check the flow of
black money in politics and take political decisions on basis of political
unanimity
.
The media also has a greater, in fact one of the most responsible roles
to play in this context. Human rights groups, women's organisations and
civil society have appreciated the unanimous decision taken by the media
not to publish any photographs of victims of gender-based violence. But
the publication of the photo of the woman abused on 31st night in several
national newspapers was an example of sheer irresponsibility.
On the other hand many of the leading national dailies, especially the vernacular
newspapers, now provide a separate page for women's issues, their pains
and problems. The media, should thus carry out its future activities to
promote the general understanding of gender issues and issues regarding
gender-based violence.
The government both in cases of gender-based violence and persons allied
with illegal activities should enforce exemplary punishment for the accused.
Only through this harsh awakening of society, can the awareness of the general
people be aroused. In this connection, it is also important to retrieve
traditional values.
Above all the concept that "women's rights are human rights" should not
be limited to mere jargon only.
Recommendations
Violence against women is a global phenomenon from time immemorial, which
does not depend on the level of development or even on the level of affluence
of the society, but varies in terms of severity and manifestations. It is
a gross violation of the human rights of women and has gained importance
through the constant lobbying of women activists worldwide. With the recognition
of women's unpaid contribution to the economy and the need to incorporate
women's perspectives in development planning, women's issues were gradually
placed in the forefront of decision-making procedures.
Along with the changes in the concept of women's status world wide, the
Bangladeshi society started to feel the impact of change. Several laws have
been enacted with the aim to improve women's lot, but seldom have the reforms
in these laws helped to serve women's cause.
Any recommendations made specially relating to gender-based violence and
law and order should be a concerted effort to combat both law and order
situation and gender-based violence.
Specific recommendations at the Decision Making Level
At the decision making level, the government should undertake several concrete
measures, along with strict implementation of laws to protect women's security
and improve the condition of law and order situation.
- The government should take up measures to appoint two separate
Ombudsmen, one to oversee the law and order situation and another
to oversee the issue of gender-based violence. The persons chosen
should be acceptable to all have no political affiliation. Their
duties should include collecting information on existing law and
order situation and incidents of gender-based violence on a monthly
basis; identifying the general pattern and trends of incidents;
identifying the sources of illegal arms in the country and suggesting
measures to combat each of the issues.
- The offices of the Ombudsmen should assist in forming a "Data
Bank on Gender-based Violence" and another "Data Bank on Law and
Order Situation" at the national level with analysis and description
of events. The offices should publish monthly data of the collected
information in the mass media, along with the full socio-economic
account of both the victim and the accused. But they should do
so without disclosing the victim's identification in both cases
of gender-based violence and people affected by deteriorating
condition of law and order. The follow-ups of each and every incident
should be published accordingly.
- The government should set up a co-ordination committee, comprising
members of the civil society, human rights activists, legal activists
and others, to assist the office of the Ombudsmen to oversee overall
activities and monitor the general situation.
- Appropriate institutional reform plans to break the past legacy.
- The government should also take measures to decentralise administration
and ensure the independence of judiciary, to establish accountability
of all the components of law enforcing agencies.
- Ensuring gender-sensitive training programmes for all government
officials including decision-makers, members of the Parliaments
and members of the law enforcing agencies, especially police.
- Women's issues, particularly gender-based violence should
be incorporated in the high school level of study to remove gender
biases from a young age. The Education Board should eliminate
role stereotypes from textbooks and change the traditional role
models.
- Mobile petrol consisting of members of the law enforcing
agencies should be set up to oversee the deterioration in the
law and order situation and gender-based violence in any area.
- The government, co-ordinating with NGOs should set up
a "Cell to Protect Women against Violence" at the grassroots level
to collect and disseminate information; initiate gender-sensitive
programmes to raise awareness on the issue and help eradicate
violence against women.
- Economic independence is a necessary precondition for self-reliance-
therefore, self-sustaining and self-generating economic activities
targeted towards women should be and must be encouraged by the
government.
- The government should make legal aid available to all-from rural
to urban area; provide economic assistance to the victim where
necessary and ensure speedy free, and fair trial of the cases.
- There should be a Cell for Protecting Women against Violence
at every police station where cases of violence against women
would be reported. Such a Cell can also assist the work of the
office of the Ombudsman.
- The victims of gender-based violence should be provided immediate
medical facilities and treated by female medical staffs.
- Counselling and registration of marriages should be ensured
and supervised thoroughly by the governmental authority. Active
cell to be set up especially in rural areas to monitor incidents
of dowry.
- The government should actively ensure increasing women's
participation in technical areas.
- There should be a Gender Code and a Central Cell for Women
in both public and private offices, conducted predominantly by
women, to look after their problems and other related issues in
the offices.
Specific Recommendation For the Police Force
The government should take some immediate measures to restore
the faith and confidence of the general public in the law-enforcing
agency, especially the police. In this context the followings
measures can be pursued.
- Brilliant students should be encouraged and given preference
when it came to recruitment to the police force
- Past record of the potential recruits should be carefully
assessed by a committee of representatives from the civil society.
- The police force must be disjointed from vested interests
of the government sectors. To ensure this a proper accountability
mechanism for the police force must be developed. The members
of civil society, including leading authors, poets, university
teachers, and local community- all should be involved in this
process.
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For the Community
The gradual erosion in our moral values through which we have learned
to respect our elders has affected the overall check and balance mechanism
that used to control the spread of violence, corruption and other vices.
The society used to try the accused for crimes committed in the community
through the process of "Shalish" (a sort of "local court", managed by
the senior and learned people of the community), involving the accused,
victim and their families. The disappearance of such social safety mechanism
has affected the community as a whole and its ultimate effect has given
rise to the total disappearance in accountability from the lower tier
of the society. Therefore, if we want to recommend any measures with respect
to gender-based violence and law and order situation, there should be
a clear and defined role for the community.
7.6 Future Areas of Research
While conducting this research work, the author observed that there are
various under explored and less noticed areas regarding gender based violence
in Bangladesh. Substantive research works in these areas may further elucidate
the pattern of relationship between various types and forms of gender
based violence with that of the entire law and order system of our country.
While this research concentrated mainly on identifying a general pattern,
more sector specific intensive research works will undoubtedly construct
a more distinct picture of the entire scenario. Some of these areas are
mentioned below:
1. Exploring the causal connection between deterioration of law and order
situation and increase in workplace harassment/violence against women.
2. The role of women's participation in law and order institutions and
in defence forces in resisting gender based violence.
3. The security of women migrant workers, both inside and outside the
country.
4. The perceptions of women belonging to minority groups regarding law
and order institutes and law and order situation of the country.
5. The role of women's participation in grass root level political institutions,
in resisting gender based violence.
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