16 Days of Activism: Let there be hope, joy, and justice

Representational Image. Reuters

Along with many other countries in the world, Bangladesh has observed the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence — an annual international campaign calling individuals and organisations to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls. This year, the campaign theme was 'Orange the world: Stop violence against women now!'. Such campaigns play a significant role in raising awareness and mobilising the population. But, this vibration needs to roll on throughout the year.

Bangladesh has made significant improvements in ensuring gender equality. According to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2021, Bangladesh was top among the South Asian countries. The position of Bangladesh was 65 in the index among 156 countries. We have closed almost 72 percent of the overall gender gap. On contrary, we are the country that has the fourth-highest child marriage rate in the world and top in South Asia. Only 28.4 percent of women are visible in the workforce despite a steep 35 percent growth in female employment in the last decade in the industrial sector (ILO 2019).

According to Ain O Shalish Kendra (ASK) report (January-October 2021), 1,178 women were raped, 43 died in consequence of rape, eight died by suicide after rape, 276 were attempted to rape. Unfortunately, 813 cases were filed but 365 had no information on case filing. As many as 318 cases of violence were conducted by family members and partners, out of which 160 were murdered. A total of 190 cases of sexual harassment incidents were reported. Out of them, four were murdered and 10 died by suicide. The numbers were prominently less in previous years. For example, 1,627 incidents of rape were reported in 2020, where it was 1,413 in 2019, 732 in 2018, 818 in 2017, and 724 in 2016. Victims of domestic violence reported were 554 in 2020, where the number was 423 in 2019, 409 in 2018, 442 in 2017, and 394 in 2016. When the whole world found a home as a safe place during pandemic lockdowns, the home became a terrifying place for women and girls. Alas! As per a national newspaper-based international study, Bangladesh has become one of the top-ranking countries in violence against women (VAW) by an intimate partner.

With every news shared, we keep raising the same urges just like 'old wine in new bottle'. As human beings, we often lose our interest in repeated things, especially when it comes to messages or visuals. We are likely to get used to these things like any other things. It doesn't excite us anymore. Just like the scariest photograph on cigarette packets, or the COVID-19 awareness voice message that we hear while we call others. We don't pay attention anymore. I wish the perpetrators would have lost their interest too in conducting repeated violence. I wish!

We talk about male engagement, positive parenting, we talk against toxic masculinity, we stress on Social Behavioural Change Communication (SBCC) materials, we focus on the increasing agency (raising awareness, raising voice, and empowerment) of girls and women. But are we missing out on the key point? Like the iceberg effect are we only focusing on the tip of the iceberg and working on it? Are we missing out on our children?

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics 2016, 54.2 percent of women get exposed to lifetime physical and/or Sexual Intimate Partner Violence. Our children often are exposed to these behaviours and over time take it as a normal phenomenon or rationale of discipline. Depressingly, mothers who are exposed to IPV are often indifferent to acting equally with their male child and female child or teach their son to respect women and girls or make him understand that household chores are equally important for both girls and boys. Rather, even in this era of the alpha generation, the Meena cartoon is still real. Meena still gets half an egg and Raju gets full.

Children are the saplings who should be well nurtured if we want to enjoy the breeze of gender equality. They should not be nurtured differently as a boy or girl, they should understand first that they are human and are equal. If parents are to buy toys, they should not limit girls from playing with the car, boys from the doll. Rather parents should prohibit both from playing with guns. Pink and blue-themed baby shower events are recently very popular among the urban population. Stop people from dividing gifts from heaven (child) into colours even when s/he is not born. Stop reading out children the stories where prince always rescues the princess, stop buying chiselled chin, slim and trim Barbie dolls for daughters that shape the mind of children especially girls that "you have to always look good, attractive and stylish". Stop using slang words that need to demean a woman, a mother first to express anger or aggression. Instead of giving them the gear of a car racing game, let us teach them that in the bus, in a public place you need to respect elders, women, and girls by not seating in the reserved seat or compromising your own seat.

Our excitements should not only fortify in 16 days activism through only wearing orange costumes and organising events, rather 365 days should be coloured with the optimistic and energetic spirit of orange. The 16 days' campaign should be widely celebrated with the efforts and what we did throughout the year, what went well, what did not reach the mark, and the lesson learning to fine-tune steps ahead. The energy and synergy should cascade down to the personal level instead of confining it to the organisation or professional level.

In the era of the alpha generation where we can penetrate with messaging through mobile devices, almost anywhere and everywhere, the children should not be left alone. We need to practice and promote the intended behaviours and make our children accustomed to them so that they understand the desired behaviour and respect others. Cooperation, coordination, compromise is humanity, being humble is not being effeminate, it is being human. Being human is not being male or female, it is being respectful, it is having the eyes of equity to ensure gender equality. Let there be hope, joy, and justice for everyone and start it with our children.