‘Repression on women, children continues’

BSS, Dhaka :
Sakhina got married few days back. After the marriage, her husband with other family members tortured Sakhina. And it increased day by day. Rafique, a ten-year-old boy, had been working as a domestic help at a house in city’s Bashabo area for eight months. One day, neighbours of that home called police after hearing frequent sounds of crying and screaming. Police rescued Rafique and admitted him to a hospital in an unconscious state. Mother of the boy said the inmates of the house tortured him brutally for ‘stealing jewellery’, adding that, he took the job as a domestic worker to support their family. She was not allowed to see her son even for once in the eight months. Another child, Monwara Begum, of the age of Rafique, was tortured inhumanly too. She took the job as a domestic help in city’s Sabujbagh area. She was tortured and scolded for being late in her work.
There are many women, girls and domestic workers like Sakhina, Rafique and Monwara who are tortured physically, emotionally and mentally and such tortures have been increasing at an alarming rate.
Repression on women and children is taking place in Bangladesh and different other countries which has been considered as a heinous crime.
Physical and mental oppression against women and children or imposing something on them or compel them to do things against their will are considered as repression on women and children. Such repression violates the fundamental human rights of women and children and creates obstacle towards the path of equality and above all the development of a country. According to a latest statistics, one in every three women of the world becomes victim of physical and mental torture and sexual harassment.
One out of four women suffers repression during her pregnancy and in most cases remain beyond the knowledge of society, police, courts and media.
Repression on women in Bangladesh has become a big social problem as most of the harassment cases on women happen in their families. Concerted efforts with a changed mindset could ensure equal women rights and dignity to prevent all sorts of repressions against women, experts said.
Narrating the prevailing situations about repressions against women in various forms everywhere, they stressed for comprehensive efforts of all concerned including the GO-NGOs, civil society and every citizen for rooting out violence against women.
Without ensuring equal rights, dignity and honour of the womenfolk, half of the country’s total population, it is not possible to achieve the desired socioeconomic uplift for building a sustainably developed country, they said.
Besides, mental and psychology expert of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Prof. Dr. M S I Mallick said 10 to 15 per cent child patients examined by himself are found to be cases of different repressions.
“Children become mental patients due to various reasons,” he said and added patients affected by environment, biological change, and continuous and sudden repression cause great harm. Children have to face three forms of repression at family level, in school and by their friend circles. Beating and reprimands by their parents are the most important causes.
 Quarrel between father and mother also severely damages the psychological health of children.
It is also an urgent need for the social welfare organizations to extend helping hands to supplement government efforts to address the problem.