Ireland’s New Domestic Violence Register: Bangladesh Should Introduce Similar Tactics to Ensure Safe Relationship Choices
How many women would have chosen differently if they knew the truth before entering an abusive relationship?
It is an uncomfortable question. Yet it sits at the heart of a new law in Ireland that could reshape how societies respond to gender-based violence (GBV). Instead of only punishing offenders after violence occurs, Ireland is introducing a public Domestic Violence Offender Register that allows people to know whether a potential partner has been convicted of serious domestic abuse. The law, known as Jennie’s Law, emerged after the murder of Jennifer Poole, who reportedly did not know her former partner had a history of violent abuse.
Her brother later described the law as ensuring that future victims can “know who they’re living with.”
For Bangladesh, where violence against women remains a persistent public health and human rights challenge, the Irish initiative raises important policy questions. Could greater transparency help prevent future violence?
The country already has several legal safeguards, including the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2010, the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, and digital security provisions against online abuse. However, implementation remains uneven. Many survivors never report abuse due to fear, stigma, economic dependency, or concerns about social judgment.
Research consistently shows the scale of the challenge. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics’ Violence Against Women Survey found that around 70 percent of ever-married women have experienced some form of intimate partner violence during their lifetime. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization estimates that nearly one in three women globally experience physical or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner.
Gender-based violence is not only a criminal justice issue. It directly affects Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). Survivors face higher risks of unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, depression, anxiety, pregnancy complications, unsafe abortion, and long-term reproductive health problems. According to UN Women, nearly 50,000 women and girls were intentionally killed by intimate partners or family members worldwide in 2024, meaning one woman loses her life approximately every ten minutes.
Would a public offender register work in Bangladesh? The answer is complex.
Supporters argue that access to verified information could help women make informed decisions, particularly before marriage. It may also discourage repeat offenders and strengthen public accountability.
Critics, however, warn that any such system would require strong legal safeguards. Bangladesh would need robust data protection, judicial oversight, survivor consent, clear appeal mechanisms, and strict privacy protections to prevent misuse or false accusations. Without these safeguards, a public database could create new risks alongside potential benefits.
Perhaps the larger lesson from Ireland is not simply about publishing names. It is about shifting the focus from reacting to violence after tragedy strikes to preventing it before lives are destroyed.
Bangladesh has made important progress in strengthening laws against gender-based violence. The next challenge is making prevention as strong as prosecution. Whether through a carefully designed offender disclosure system, stronger survivor support services, improved law enforcement, or community-based prevention programmes, one message is becoming increasingly clear.
Protecting women begins with giving them the information, support, and power to make safe choices before violence begins.
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