Mass awareness must to end misogyny

Mass awareness to change people's negative attitudes towards women is required to ensure their security, speakers said at a roundtable yesterday.

They said respect towards women should be implanted in children's minds during the early development years (0-3 years) and later through special classes in school.

Besides noting the importance of education, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon stressed the need for an effective helpline with hunting numbers.

Referring to Dhaka Metropolitan Police's helpline 999 and National Helpline Centre for Violence Against Women and Children's 10921, he said people did not know much about these.

"People will know the numbers if they work. Its effectiveness must be visible," he told the discussion on women's security in cities, organised by the daily Prothom Alo and ActionAid Bangladesh at the newspaper's office.

Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq asked women and human rights activists and organisations, present at the discussion, to send him five short, medium and long term doable strategies to improve security of women in the city.

He said with the help of WaterAid, DNCC would put up 100 public toilets in the north by next year.

ActionAid Country Director Farah Kabir suggested that the mayor make it mandatory for companies to carry messages to prevent violence against women in the corner of every billboard in the city.

Ayesha Khanom, president of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, requested the mayor to involve the councillors in his efforts to bring positive changes.

President of Bangladesh Nari Sangbadik Kendra Nasimun Ara Haque Minu emphasised changing the mindset and increasing respect towards women.

Shahnaz Huda, a law professor of Dhaka University (DU), said, "Insecurity is increasing because impunity is increasing."

Referring to the women's repression prevention cell in the Police Headquarters, Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Rockfar Sultana Khanam asked women to complain harassment.

"We have tried to make the policing system gender sensitive. But a day or two of training is not enough to change everyone in the force," said Fawzia Khondker Eva, gender specialist promoting gender sensitive policing. 

Muhammad Showkat Ali, secretary of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), said they were thinking of increasing the number of female drivers and helpers as female drivers tended to cause fewer accidents.