Dutch envoy urges govt to endorse Domestic Violence Bill

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Praising the newly elected government for their strong stance on gender, Netherlands Ambassador in Dhaka Bea ten Tusscher has urged the government to endorse soon the draft Domestic Violence Bill and Guidelines for Sexual Harassment as an important step forward in the fight towards ending violence against women, reports UNB.
She made the appeal speaking at a discussion on 'Violence against Women and Girls: Assessing the Legal Framework' at a city hotel Monday.
Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed was the chief guest at the function, organized by the Netherlands Embassy.
The Netherlands ambassador lauded the initiative taken by a coalition of NGOs in 2008 to draft a Domestic Violence Bill, and by the University Grants Commission and several women's and civil society groups to draft guidelines for sexual harassment.
She said that violence against women is a universal phenomenon and often unpunished crime.
Ambassador ten Tusscher mentioned that many people in Bangladesh consider domestic violence and sexual harassment as private matters, in which others should not intervene, and that the attitudes of the police, judges, medical staff and others reflect those of the society at large.
"These mindsets have to be changed. An important step forward would be a proper legal framework," she said.