Here is a part of the economy celebrating women's day, in pampering sessions and incentives, sometimes offers on products that cater to women. There is another part, though, some closed-door conference room meetings on equality and rights, advocating the basic human rights every day, for women, on behalf of women. Though there is nothing wrong with any celebration, a question persists. Do the women in Bangladesh, if not all, then the majority, know what Women's Day is about? Or, specifically, do they know their rights? Are they empowered and informed enough to advocate for their own?
Now, the most crucial question: Are women safe in Bangladesh?
According to the recently released UN Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) 2023 by the UN Development Programme, nine out of 10 people in the world hold fundamental biases against women that span across regions, income levels, and cultures. The women of Bangladesh face nothing different - the biases persist, and so do our women, despite them.
The common woman - the one who struggles for her place at the metro station or bus stop or remains cloistered within the home - has no access to the empowered gatherings. They barely have any say in what her needs are, what actually needs to be changed to make the roads safer for her. What is available to her are discount vouchers and social media shorts, stripping the day of all its purpose.
More and more women in Bangladesh are stepping out to work while fighting a capitalist-patriarchal system that wants them to prioritise their roles as homemakers and stay in low-paid, low-growth jobs. In the workplace, they are expected to "work like a man" or they are weak and unproductive. And then, when they come home, they must once again resume the domestic goddess role, cooking like Nigella Lawson, caring like Florence Nightingale. These systems have hardly changed in a common household in Bangladesh.
One of the most prominent problems for women in Bangladesh is their safety - in transportation facilities, on roads, and in their workplaces. The word works as an umbrella term to describe a persistent problem in every possible scenario.
The safety issues while travelling are not new. There is hardly a woman using public transport regularly without at least one experience of harassment on the bus. The stories and experiences are sometimes so horrid and traumatising that they leave others stunned as to how those women continue to commute by the same buses. The answer doesn't take too long to ponder - there are no better alternatives. The transportation sector has hardly had any reforms for safe commuting for women. The common office-going woman still hears the 'Mohila Uthais na (Don't let the woman get in)!' while running after a bus on a busy day.
For many years, women have reported sexual harassment on Dhaka roads as their top mobility concern- whether they are pedestrians or passengers. A 2022 survey of over 5,000 women across 24 districts revealed that 87 per cent of them experienced harassment at least once, 36 per cent faced sexual harassment in public transport regularly, and 57 per cent considered public transport as the most unsafe public space.
While harassment is primarily caused by individual behaviour and social norms, poor infrastructure and malfunctioning vehicles worsen things. Although Dhaka has 43 foot over-bridges in the North City Corporation and 31 in the South, women said they tended to avoid these as those are notorious for harassment.
Women's ability to reach their full economic potential, alongside social well-being, is directly connected to their level of mobility. According to World Bank's 2022 studies, most women choose jobs closer to home or with specific working hours, ensuring they can come home before dark to reduce the risk of violence.
Implementing a gender-inclusive transport policy with women-only services during peak hours and improved urban planning can help this issue, alongside infrastructure upgrades, including CCTV cameras, panic buttons, and better lighting at bus stops.
Strict regulations must penalise harassment, with possible steps to familiarise people with the laws and punishments. Technology-driven solutions, such as mobile complaint systems and hotline services, can enact prompt action.
Another terrifying problem is violence against women. For the past month, there have been reports almost every day on various incidents of rape - with the victim being as young as three years old. This is femicide - an extreme form of violence against women. The incidents chill us women to the bone whenever we read yet another piece of news about it, dimming our hopes for a safer future. The shadows lurk in broad daylight, by the corners of the streets at night. Let alone roads, women are not safe in their homes as well. This extreme form of violence against women, the injustice, the crime, the unforgivable, deserves extreme punishment by law, and nothing less.
Sure, there are laws in the country, but implementing them continues to be one of the least necessary means. To end impunity for rape in Bangladesh, urgent legal and systemic reforms are required. The definition of rape in law must be broadened and clarified to include all forms of sexual violence, while the Evidence Act should be amended to remove character-based questioning of survivors. Fast-track courts must ensure speedy trials, and strict measures should be taken to prevent the misuse of legal loopholes. Law enforcement must be trained in gender-sensitive procedures or approaches, and accountability mechanisms should be established to ensure proper investigation and victim support.
The state must guarantee medical, legal, and psychological support for survivors and ensure their protection from possible intimidation. Consent-focused awareness campaigns should be launched to challenge societal misconceptions, and comprehensive sex education must be included in school curriculums. The media must stick to ethical reporting standards to prevent victim-blaming. One of the more crucial steps is engaging men in advocacy programmes from a young age, which will help change cultural attitudes towards gender-based violence.
The hope attached to the day of celebrating women is not just a distant dream - it is the fire that fuels change. A Bangladesh where women walk freely without fear, where their voices are heard, and where their rights are protected is not an impossible vision but a reality we must create.
The time for mere discussions is over; it's time for decisive action. Laws must be enforced, streets must be safe, and respect must be ingrained in every corner of society. A future where every woman in Bangladesh can move, speak, and live without fear is not a wish - it is the only way forward.
Tahseen Nower Prachi is a writer and a novice development communications professional, who has completed her Honors and Master's from the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, University of Dhaka.
nowertahseen@gmail.com