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Editorial

Passage of law on domestic violence

Now, let us go for its effective implementation
7 October 2010, 18:00 PM
EDITORIAL
THE enactment of the Domestic Violence (Protection and Prevention) Bill 2010 into law by the Jatiyo Sangsad is a measure of how seriously the nation takes the issue of violence in the home. For decades altogether, violence in the household, owing fundamentally to the male-dominated social structure in Bangladesh, has been a sad feature of life for countless women and children. And yet there have not been any outlets, at least up to this point, for the victims of such violence to take measures to prevent their falling prey to mental and physical torture. The absence of relevant laws to ensure the dignity of women and children within the confines of families was felt acutely. In recent years, however, the rise of social organisations, including a very significant number of women's bodies, and their spirited campaign to ensure safety in the home for women and children has emphasised the point that without women and children feeling secure within their families, it will be difficult for society to reach its cherished goals of advancement. So far, to our regret, we have heard of children being denied the rights and privileges their very status as children entitles them to. As for the sufferings women, at all levels of society, are subjected to, we have known of the violence inflicted on them, overtly or covertly, in family situations. Now that the law against such violence is here, we expect conditions to change for the better for all women and children in the country. However, we must also serve the caveat that no law is any good as long as it is not implemented fully and decisively. And for that to happen, it is critically important that the machinery be there, ready and equipped to swing into action every time someone decides to tamper with the law. That said, there is now also a very important need for the authorities as well as social organisations to spread the message of the new law far and wide through a dissemination of it. That can be done through the media, print as well as electronic. In the villages, where domestic violence occurs with a fair degree of regularity, teachers, imams of local mosques and village elders could be tapped as resource persons responsible for enlightening people on the various aspects of the new law. In both rural and urban areas, efforts should be expended toward convincing victims of domestic violence to expose their tormentors, for only toughness of this sort can make a difference. We welcome the law. Its provisions of penalties for those guilty of causing physical and mental violence to women and children in the home should be a deterrent to any would-be offenders. But, we repeat, the strength of the law will depend on how widely it is taken recourse to by victims and its effective implementation.

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