In the Name of Love

Photo: Prabir Das

Love, they say, will be in the air today, no matter what the cynics say. They will declare their love through cards, roses, expensive dinners, maybe even a diamond or two – all the while boosting the economy with their debit cards, credit cards or cold, hard cash.
But today is significant not because of our highly commercialized 'Bhalobasha Dibosh'. It is a day when people – men and women will rise, all over the world, in protest of all the violent acts against women in the name of family honour, in the name of religion, in the name of love.
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Barely a week ago, eighteen year old Jolly Akter, a student of Mongalbari Degree College from Chirla village, Joypurhat, was burnt with petrol because she refused to marry a married man. With more than 20 percent burns, Jolly lies in hospital, her dreams and future razed to the ground. In all likelihood the attacker will go scot free while Jolly, if she survives, will live life with her scars and the knowledge that there is little justice for young women like her. This, despite the fact that we have stringent laws that deal with violence against women.
According to data provided by the Bangladesh Police Division 200,862 women were subjected to violence between 2002 and 2012. This violence includes acid attacks, kidnapping, rape, murder following rape, trafficking, killing and torture for dowry. But how many of these cases have been tried for justice? Fear of social stigma, further violence or sheer poverty, prevents many from filing reports. In most cases the perpetrator remains above the law and is not brought to justice.
Afghanistan gives a harsher picture. A new law has recently been passed by parliament that bans relatives of an accused from testifying against them. This will ultimately allow abusers to continue to abuse women and children without any fear of the law.  In 2009 the Law on the Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW) was passed. For the first time child marriage, forced marriage and rape were defined as crimes under Afghan law with tough penalties for domestic violence. But the new bill threatens protections for women and girls provided within the EVAW law. Women's rights groups in Afghanistan have appealed to President Hamid Karzai not to sign this bill that will only help to perpetuate the gruesome crimes against women and girls.
And even in advanced countries that have good laws and effective enforcement mechanisms and apparently, high standards when it comes to human rights, the violence continues. In Australia, Canada, Israel, South Africa and the United States, intimate partner violence accounts for between 40 and 70 per cent of female murder victims.
One Billion Rising (OBR) is a worldwide movement to stop this violence. In Bangladesh it took the form of Uddomey Uttoroney Shotokoti (One Billion Rising), an alliance of rights groups and activists, which came together in 2012. On February 14, 2013, approximately 3 million men and women were mobilized on the streets with the support from over 400 organizations joining over 206 countries across the world. Bangladesh joins the world again today, February 14, 2014, to demand justice for violence against women.
Such public protests and rallies will not give immediate relief to the millions of women who are victims of brutal assaults all over the world. But they will get the attention of those in power to stop this violence through better laws, stronger law enforcement and a realisation that allowing such gross crimes against women leads to the crippling of nations. Think of all those women and girls whose lives have been cut short or made unbearable because of someone's sadistic inclinations. Think of the fact that even as you are reading this some woman or girl somewhere, is being sexually assaulted or brutally tortured. Think of the frightening fact that it could happen to me, you or someone we love.
Men all over the world will be professing their love to women in a hundred different ways today. Standing with the one billion to demand justice for women victims of violence would surely be a most unique declaration of love.
On February 14, 2014, nationwide events will be organised by OBR and the central event will take place at 2:30 pm at the High Court gate, Dhaka.