About 71.5 per cent marginalised women went through different forms of violence last year, reveals a study.
Out of 71.5 per cent, 1.56 per cent marginalised women fell victim to rape, the study has found.
The study also revealed that 33.9 per cent members of marginalised community became victim to physical violence last year with sex workers highest at 52.2 per cent and Hilly Adivasi lowest at 11.1 per cent.
The study findings were revealed at a book launching programme titled 'State Of the Marginalised in Bangladew-2016' published by the Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) held at the Jatiya Press Club on Wednesday.
Manusher Jonno Foundation conducted the study among 2,000 families in 18 districts of seven divisions.
More than 32.3 per cent marginalised people were mentally tortured by members of the majority group in their localities, while nearly 30 per cent faced discriminations at their workplaces and received low pay, it said.
Though a significant number of Adivasi women in both the hills and plain lands are involved in economic activities, only a handful of them can contribute to household's economic decision making, the report said.
Only 6.58 per cent marginalised people are engaged in formal sector job while the rest in informal sector and only 9.3 per cent Dalit households are engaged in government services.
The number of female-headed households (4.7 per cent) in marginalised communities is higher than average rural households (4.3 per cent).
The number of the agricultural wage labourers is significantly high among the marginalised communities (15.35) compared to the rest of rural households (4.0 per cent).
Addressing the programme, former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Prof Dr Mizanur Rahman said marginalised people can change their fate by developing leadership among them and the mainstream people can help them in this regard.
Human rights activist Sultana Kamal urged all the stakeholders of society to come forward for the development of the marginalised community people.
Jatiya Press Club general secretary Farida Yasmin said marginalised people are much neglected in society while they are important and urged all to change the mentality of the mainstream community people towards them.
Prof ASM Amanullah of Dhaka University's Sociology department and Chief Executive of Nagarik Uddyog Zakir Hossain, among others, spoke on the occasion.
