Dhaka's ranking as the seventh worst megacity for women adds to the list of infamies already plaguing it. The Thomson Reuters Foundation's recent perception poll on women in megacities brings the Bangladesh capital before a bitter reality once again. The embarrassing place of Dhaka in the perception poll conducted on 19 megacities, with over 10 million people each, around the world reflects the stark realities the city's women have to put up with. The Thomson Reuters Foundation's 19-city poll has once again revealed some basic obstacles constraining the lives of Dhaka's women in general.
In the poll on the women-hostile megacities, Cairo tops the list. The North African city, rocked by the Arab Spring and civil unrest in 2011, has been singled out as being the worst due to its first place in the criterion of harmful cultural practices for women. It has also been placed in the third place in terms of sexual harassment and violence. Cairo is followed by Karachi, Kinshasa and New Delhi. The poll panel comprised women rights experts answering questions to apparently help the Foundation makes an assessment of women's safety and security in the 19 select megacities. The areas in focus were sexual violence, access to healthcare, cultural practices and economic opportunities. On finding London to be the best of women-friendly cities thanks to Britain's free National Health Service and economic opportunities for women, the poll places Tokyo and Paris at second and third place respectively. These megacities have been judged as the best and least dangerous for women due to their better scores on the four specific criteria.
According to the Thomson Foundation poll, Moscow comes as fourth best overall, trouncing New York, on a range of measures. It has been judged as the most female-friendly city based on protection against harmful cultural practices. In contrast, the Bangladesh capital comes up as the third most dangerous city for women due to practices like child and forced marriages etc. The city is consigned to the fourth worst place in terms of sexual violence including rape, sexual attacks and harassments against women. The criteria of access to healthcare and economic opportunities also lower Dhaka's scores.
It is disturbing to note that despite many achievements made by Dhaka's literate and educated women, they in general continue to be worse-off. While the underprivileged classes of the megacity's women suffer socio-economic woes the most, the better placed face challenges in broader areas. In fact, the unabated increase in the city's population keeps squeezing many opportunities and facilities enjoyed by women in the past. Income crunches, coupled with poor city governance focused on women, are primarily responsible. Erosion in social values adds to the grim saga. That women residents of this city can reach laudable highs in their overall state has often been seen in the past. This prospect still beckons. Moreover, the opportunities for a secure and comfortable life for women have not been fully utilised. Creating an ambience conducive to a content and fruitful life for women in Dhaka is not a tall order. Sincerity on the part of the authorities concerned along with awareness-raising campaigns can make their life meaningful.
