Violence against Women in Politics in Bangladesh
Ain o Salish kendra (ASK)*In Bangladesh, reservation of special seats for women has ensured their representation in the parliament as well as in the local government. Women candidates can now contest in the general seats as well. Since the restoration of democracy in 1991, participation of women in politics has increased in Bangladesh. However, among the different factors deterring participation of women in politics, violence is one of the major one. Violence particularly against women in politics can be attributed to both the state and the non-state actors. While participating in political activities, women are subjected to violence by not only political opponents but by law enforcing agencies as well.
In light of the current situation, right to political activities is suspended in Bangladesh under the state of emergency.2 During this period, there are no reported cases of violence against women in politics, since there is no scope of political assembly or other activities. However, if we go back before the period of emergency, we can see a number of violent incidents faced by women involved in politics. However, it is very difficult to ascertain the actual picture of such violence due to the insufficient reporting, documentation and authentic research findings in this regard.
In general, the scenario of violence against women engaged in politics can be divided into two contexts: the urban and the rural context. In urban context,... Read more>>
