icddr,b Studies Gender Based Violence Against Women

Although Bangladesh has attained a remarkable success rate in increasing literacy rates for women, and decreasing the mortality rate of both mothers and children, recent studies by both WHO Bangladesh, and the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys indicate that violence against women is increasing.

A study currently being undertaken by icddr,b and funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) aims to bring evidence-based researchers and policy makers together to better understand the leading causes behind the increasing violence perpetrated against women.

The study, titled ‘Addressing Gender-Based Violence against Women and Girls in Bangladesh: From Evidence to Policy’ aims to bridge the gap between researchers and practitioners so as to make an immediate impact in the fight against gender based violence in Bangladesh.

A preliminary fact-sharing seminar will be held on Wednesday, 1 February, at icddr,b's  Sasakawa Auditorium.

Disconnect between reality and research

Although a significant amount of research has been done in Bangladesh regarding the reasons behind violence against women, there remains a disconnect between theory and practise in going about reducing such violence in society. “I often find academics not very interested in how their study could affect public policy”, explained Dr. Ruchira Tabassum Naved, a scientist at icddr,b’s Social and Behavioural Sciences Unit, and also the author of the study.  “Conversely, a lot of policy makers also lack proper evidence and research to craft a legislation that would help women at the grass roots. My prime motivation behind this study was to bridge this gap between research and practise so that our future gender policies are robust and evidence based”.

The other objective of the study is to make the findings and results of the project applicable to a slightly different socio-cultural setting. “When gender researchers try to understand the works of similar gender studies from other countries, we immediately start shaking our heads when it comes to applying the findings in a society like Bangladesh”, added Dr. Naved. “Often, the recommendations are simply too specific to be put to use in a different context. This icddr,b study, although based entirely in Bangladesh, will try to come up with ideas that could also be incorporated into a context that is different from our norms and practices”.

Quality data leads to quality research

In order to get the best research data available, both quantitative and qualitative data collection is being carried out.  Statistical analysis of nationally representative data is being conducted using multivariate analysis to explore patterns and variations in the prevalence of gender based violence against women and girls.  Qualitative data is being collected through a variety of interviews and case studies. Dissemination will be carried out through a workshop with policy makers and experts while the entire study will be published in a series of academic papers and in peer-reviewed journals. “We want a thorough discussion about our findings between academics and policy makers, so our immediate goal is to get people together and actually talk about our research, as opposed to simply publishing it in a journal”, explained Dr. Naved

Policy change the ultimate goal

Ultimately though, Dr. Naved and her colleagues want their study to influence policymaking and legislation. “My inspiration is the National Women Development Policy 2011 of Bangladesh and the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2010, both of which I think can be enriched with more data and more evidence based research”, concludes Dr. Naved. “If our study can have an impact on national level legislation, then I would say we have certainly done our job as researchers fighting for the rights of the victims of gender based violence”.

A history of gender research

icddr,b has been at the forefront of gender research in the developing world since 1980s and our research continues to recognize gender as one of the most important determinants of health, and treat it as a theme that cuts across health and socio-economic status.

For more information on the current and previous gender research projects, please contact Dr Ruchira Tabassum