49pc women face physical violence by husbands
Shows survey
More than 50 percent of the women in a baseline survey across the country reported of facing physical and sexual violence by their husbands over the last 12 months.
Of the 1,982 women selected for the survey from the country's 30 unions, around 49 percent faced physical violence while about 42 percent face sexual violence during the period.
The findings were presented yesterday at a national workshop titled "Challenges and opportunities for addressing violence against women in Bangladesh" organised by Plan Bangladesh at a city hotel.
The survey was carried out under Protecting Human Rights (PHR) Project, an initiative of Plan Bangladesh in assistance with USAid.
Presenting the key findings, Dr Madhumita Das, senior technical specialist of ICRW, India, said slapping a woman, throwing something at her and threatening her with a weapon are the most common acts of the violence.
She said one-third of the surveyed women reported experiencing forced sexual intercourse after or during an episode of physical violence while very few women sought help from any formal or informal service.
Around 13 percent stated violence as normal or not serious action while 11 percent believe that it will bring bad name for the family, she added.
The survey stressed the need for gender sensitisation across the population in the study area.
Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, state minister for women and children affairs ministry, Meher Afroz Chumki, chairman of parliamentary standing committee on women and children affairs ministry and Tariq-Ul-Islam, secretary of the ministry, Alexious Butler, director of democracy and governance office of USAid Bangladesh, and Myrna Remata Evora, country director of Plan Bangladesh also spoke among others.
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