WUNRN
The New Nation - Bangladesh
June 25, 2009
GENDER
EQUALITY IN BANGLADESH
Bangladesh
is a highly patriarchal society and gender discrimination is present at all
community levels. Women are dependent on men throughout their lives, from
father through husbands to sons. While there are constitutional affirmations of
gender equality, state legislation and institutions frequently overlook the
rights of women. For example, women and young girls are more disadvantaged than
men in their access to education, health care and financial assets.
Traditionally, women were often discouraged from participating in public life
and mainly recognised only for their reproductive role. However, due to
increased poverty and an increased demand for labour, female employment has
risen since the mid 1980's. Most of the information below concerns the Muslim
population, which makes up over 80 percent of the total population. Where
information is available for Bangladesh's Hindu and Christian populations, this
is mentioned as well.
Half of all girls between 15 and 19 years of age are currently
married, divorced or widowed in Bangladesh (UN, 2004). This is the highest rate
of early marriage in Asia and among the highest worldwide. By marrying their
daughters young, parents decrease the economic burden on the household. A more encouraging
trend, however, is that of increased contraceptive use and declining fertility
rates.
Polygamy in Bangladesh has decreased over the past 50 years,
particularly in the cities, but still there are over 10 percent of married men
in a polygamous union. The practice, however legal, is considered by many to be
outdated. This was reflected in a law passed in 2006 in Bangladesh's
fourth-largest city, Rajshahi, which introduced a so-called polygamy tax; any
man taking a second wife will be asked to pay a one-time amount of 10 000 takas
(142 US dollars). The tax rises to 30 000 takas for a third wife and 40 000
takas for a fourth wife (Islamic Republic News Agency, 2007).
The issue of parental authority is treated differently depending
on religion. Women are not regarded as legal guardians under Islamic law,
something that may lead to children being taken away by in-laws in the case of
a father's death (in the case of divorce, women can retain custody of sons
until age seven and daughters until puberty). Similarly, under Hindu law,
fathers are viewed as the natural, legal guardians of children.
Inheritance practices, too, differ between religions. According
to Islamic law, daughters inherit half as much as sons and, in the absence of a
son, daughters can inherit only as a residuary (i.e. only after all debts and
other obligations are settled). A wife is in principle entitled to half of the
assets when her husband dies. Under Hindu law, a widow, or all widows in a
polygamous marriage, inherits the same share as a son. For Christians, the
Succession Act of 1925 provides equal inheritance between sons and daughters.
Female genital mutilation is not practiced in Bangladesh.
Early marriage and dowry customs are major factors in the
continuation of domestic violence against women. Laws that have been passed
against these practices have proven difficult to enforce, especially in rural
areas where traditions and family laws tend to govern social life. A report
released by the U.N. Population Fund in 2000, asserted that 47 percent of adult
women had reported physical abuse by their male partner. The government, the
media, and women's rights organisations have fostered a growing awareness of
the problem of violence against women.
Gender-based violence outside the home includes sexual
harassment in the workplace, assaults, rapes and acid attacks. Revenge by a
rejected suitor and land disputes are common causes for acid attacks against
women. Insufficient shelters for victims of abuse have led the government to
hold women who file complaints in safe custody, usually in prison. This custody
frequently results in further abuses, hence discouraging the filing of
complaints by other women.
The occurrence of missing women (including female infants and
children) is widespread in most South Asian countries and Bangladesh is no
exception. In fact, Bangladesh is one of the very few countries in the world
where males outnumber females. Census data show that over 2.7 million
Bangladeshi women were missing in 2001 (Hudson et al, 2005). This is primarily
the result of son preference and female sex-selective abortions, or through
relative neglect compared to boys in early childhood (including abandonment).
Civil Liberties
Women can move relatively freely in the vicinity of their home
and local neighbourhood. To various degrees - much depending on the traditions
of individual families - the Islamic system of purdah may impose some
restrictions on women's participation in activities outside the home, such as
education, employment and social activities. To engage in any such activities,
a woman generally needs her husband's permission.
With regards to women's freedom of dress, it is customary for
most Bangladeshi women to cover at least their hair.
Despite women's growing role in agriculture, there is evidence
that social and customary practices virtually exclude women from any hope of
direct access to land.
It is often the demographic composition of a woman's household
that determines her qualification for and access to bank loans and other forms
of credit. A woman's lack of mobility, particularly in rural areas, forces her
to depend on male relatives for any entrepreneurial activities. While
Bangladesh's NGO's provide micro-credit to a large number of women, there is a
growing concern to whether or not these women actually retain control over
their loans.
According to the national law, men and women have equal rights
to property, but in practice women have only very limited access to property.
Their situation is further impaired by discriminating inheritance laws and
Bangladeshi women are not likely to even claim their share of the family
property unless it is given to them.
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