The categories and level of violence against women have been increasing at an alarming rate in the country, speakers at a press conference Sunday observed.
From family to society, women are subject to discrimination and torments in all areas, they said.
The observation came at a media advocacy’ organised by Light House, an NGO, in association with USAID Happy Life Project and Pathfinder International, held at Bangladesh Children Welfare Parishad Auditorium in the city.
Speakers emphasised the importance of taking immediate and necessary steps, both globally and domestically, to bring about positive social change.
Program organisers informed participants on 830 rape victims, 148 cases of sexual abuse, 975 child abuse cases, 175 murders by husbands, 12 acid throwings, 439 child murders, 22 cases of domestic worker violence, and 116 cases of dowries between January and October 2022, citing recent data from Ain o Salish Kendra (a voluntary organisation for law and arbitration).
Analysing the history of violence against women, it has been found that from two-year-old children to 75-year-old women have not been spared from the torture.
Girls between the ages of 14 and 18 were the major rape victims. More alarmingly, youths were mostly accused of such violence.
The executive director of the Light House Harun Ur Rashid chaired. At the same time, the Deputy Director of the Directorate of Women and Children Affairs Ayesha Nargis, and Member Secretary of Bangladesh Editors’ Forum Farooq Ahmed Talukder also spoke, among others.
Harun Ur Rashid said that following the context of violence against women, steps have been taken to implement various activities from November 25 to December 10 to prevent all gender-based violence.
Light House has been implementing the 16-day campaign under the slogan 'let everyone unites to stop violence against women and children'.
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