Violence against women persists despite legislation

Participants at a seminar on 'Women & Children Repression (Amendment) Act, 2003' organised by the Legislative Support Service Project of Manabik Shahajya Sangstha yesterday.

"Can mere enactment of laws prevent women and children repression?" asked Barrister Rabeya Bhuiyan while presenting a keynote paper on Women and Children Repression (Amendment) Act 2003 at the seminar organised by Legislative Support Service Project in the city.

"The repression is high in rural areas where women become victims of discrimination and violence because of their economic and traditional dependence on men," she said.

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A host of lawmakers, women activists, legal practitioners, and human right activists discussed the paper that aimed at bringing out various shortcomings in defining violence committed in multifarious manners against women.

"In the event of rape, the government must make arrangements to carry out the post-rape medical investigation so that the perpetrator can no way influence the process nor the victim," Salma Ali of Ain O Shalish Kendro said.

Sheikh Shahidul Islam of Jatiya Party said proper implementation of existing laws depends largely on political commitment and non-interference by political parties.

"Politicians must be neutral letting the law enforcing agencies act independently," he added.

Islam said we have to create social awareness to stop violence against women.

Eminent lawyer Sudhangsu Shekhar Haldar suggested that both the law enforcers and the judiciary must be speedy and accountable in dispensing justice.

Rashed Khan Menon of Workers Party alleged that the Women and Children Repression (Amendment) Act' is randomly misused to serve political purpose.

Jatiya Party (Ershad) MP G M Kader said the greatest beneficiaries of the act are the police and the administration, neither women nor the children.

He was also critical of speedy trial as it "runs the risk of human rights violation.

Sultana Kamal of Ain O Shalish Kendro, who moderated the session, said the society is yet to recognise the rights of women.