Ramisa Rob

Percep-tions of peacefulness can vary from person to person, nation to nation, depending on various factors such as the interplay of religious convictions, ethics, with real-life experiences. So logically, everyone’s views will not be reflected in, and can even be contradicted by the “Global Peace Index”—a measurement of “relative” position of peacefulness in 163 nations around the world,

Children born to affluent backgrounds grow up with the warning to never touch sharp objects, especially to never go near a boti, and oftentimes in the same household, another child from a less affluent background straddles the same protruding blades, because that’s their job. This disturbing illustration of class difference, however, is the least of the problems in this society where much worse is happening all around.

A 21-year-old woman grew up with an ambition of pursuing a career in law, but today, her future seems bleak. It all started two years ago, when she entered into a relationship with a 28-year-old man.

Many of us today interpret economic development to mean installation of a metro rail system, grand openings of franchise fast-food chains, a steadfast rise of GDP rates, and all such vantage points of corporate success.

Reports from legal aid and human rights organisation, Ain O Salish Kendra stated that at least 189 women were raped across the country in the first six months of this year, and 47 children were subjected to sexual assault or harassment in 15 days before April 2. Despite the pervasiveness of rape culture, conviction rates have ironically dropped from 0.5 percent in 2016 to 0.3 percent in 2018, according to the recent study by Naripokkho, a women’s rights organisation. The necessity for amendments in rape law becomes larger by the day, but a concerted action from the government remains surreptitiously missing.