Violence against women eats up 2pc of GDP a year

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FE Report
Bangladesh loses Tk 143.58 billion every year because of violence against women, said a study revealed by Care Bangladesh, a non-government organisation.
It also said the amount is about 2.0 per cent of total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.
Care Bangladesh launched the research Tuesday, titled 'Cost of Violence against Women' at a city hotel.
The money is being spent for the purposes of treatment of victimised women, holding trial processes and arbitration, transportation cost of accused persons, penalty, food etc, the study said.
Besides, following the incidents of violence the traumatised family members, society as well as the state pass through sufferings in many ways.
Specially, the sufferings of children of the victim-women beggar description as many a time their mental and physical health bear the brunt, the study noted.
And it is absolutely impossible to estimate the cost of women who have been tortured to death, it also said.
"There are adequate laws in the country to protect the women from violence, but the aggression is yet to reduce significantly due to society's negative view of our womenfolk," said the Women and Children Affairs state minister Shirin Sharmin Chawdhury as chief guest at the programme of launching the study.
She said the provisions of Domestic Violence Prevention and Protection Act 2010 would be finalised within next November.
Ain o Shalish Kendra Chairman Hamida Hossain chaired the programme, whereas researcher Kaniz Siddique, Bangladesh Mohila Parishad president Ayesha Khanum, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Bangladesh Mission director Richard Greene, among others, were present at the programme.
Richard Greene said the US government was providing funds for mitigating the violence against the women in Bangladesh.
"If necessary we will give more money for organising more programmes to reduce any kind of torture on the women," the USAID Mission Director also said.
Ayesha Khanum said it was necessary to create a social movement along with the government's various steps to prevent violence against women.