Delay in addressing gender violence cases a common scenario

According to a report commissioned by ActionAid Bangladesh, four out of five cases that involve violence against women remain unaddressed for two years before getting court dates. The report also says that 3.1% of the cases ruled in favour of the victim. In the remaining 96.9% cases the victims either did not get court hearings, or had their cases dismissed.

The report was titled ,”Spotlight on Violence Against Women in Bangladesh: Trends and Solutions,” and was revealed on November 26 at Dhaka’s Drik Gallery at a program hosted by ActionAid Bangladesh. The research was conducted in 20 districts by Jatiya Nari Nirjaton Protirodh, according to which domestic violence is reported to be the most prevalent form of violence (66%).

As a huge number of cases go unreported due to lack of knowledge and awareness among women on filing complaints, and also due to the interference of community and slow rate of court proceedings, it recommended the state to ensure that measures be taken to make women aware of the resources and channels to safely file legal complaints and grievances.

ActionAid Bangladesh Country Director Farah Kabir addressed the issue of the socially accepting attitude of our society towards gender violence, and how this affects the prevalence of such incidents in our country.