Ministry must form specialised, experienced teams to address gender-based violence: Adviser

At the inaugural event of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, adviser to the ministry of women and children affairs (MoWCA) Sharmeen S Murshid emphasised the urgent need to reinforce and revise existing strategies to combat Gender-Based Violence (GBV) effectively.

Highlighting the shortcomings in achieving goals, the adviser stated, “16 Days of Activism raises more questions than it provides answers. We must rethink our approach as violence, both globally and in Bangladesh, continues to rise.”

MoWCA in collaboration with the Local Consultative Group on Women Advancement and Gender Equality (LCG WAGE) and the United Nations in Bangladesh has officially inaugurated the 16 Days of Activism campaign on Wednesday (27 November), stated a press release.

Arranged at the Bangladesh International Conference Center, the inaugural event featured a national dialogue on advancing legal frameworks and fostering collaboration to eliminate violence against women and girls.

The adviser underlined the critical need for MoWCA to establish specialised teams with expertise in gender issues and GBV. “Many ministries experience frequent turnover, which disrupts continuity. A trained individual working on GBV might suddenly be transferred, leaving a gap in expertise. We need stable, specialised teams- comprising sociologists and gender experts- who can effectively manage and lead research in this domain.”

The event brought together government representatives, civil society organisations, women’s rights advocates, development partners, and private sector stakeholders. The guests discussed the urgent need to address violence against women and girls as a multidimensional issue and called for increased resources, robust legal measures, strengthened policies and proper implementation of the laws to ensure justice and accountability.

Special guest at the event, ambassador and head of delegation for the European Union in Bangladesh Michael Miller said, “We do recognize the landmark directives of the high court in 2009, but we look to this Government in fact, to now adopt and implement the draft sexual harassment prevention bill. The domestic violence detection and prevention law needs to be amended to international standard.”   

Special guest, UN resident coordinator Gwyn Lewis said, “As we commemorate the 16 Days of Activism, I appeal to you to use this time as a catalyst for lasting change. Commit to the tangible actions that we know are effective: allocate the resources needed to implement laws, prevent violence, and protect survivors.”

Associate professor of law at the University of Dhaka Taslima Yasmin gave the keynote presentation where she highlighted the reforms proposed in the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2010 and the Law on Sexual harassment at Workplace and Educational Institutions drafts. She also discussed the process of strengthening the legislative framework through the reform proposal in her presentation.

After the keynote presentation, joint secretary at the ministry of women and children affairs Praskash Kanti Chowdhury moderated a reflection session on the keynote presentation.

Student coordinator from the University of Dhaka Umama Fatema mentioned that, proper application of the law is the only way to protect women and girls. "It is crucial to clearly specify harassment in public spaces and identify its different types. Using vague terms only makes it more challenging for women," said Umama.

"Additionally, clauses need to be clarified, and implementation must be prioritised. Ensuring women's safety starts with making them feel secure. A genuine commitment from the state is essential," she added.

Founder member of Naripokkho and chairperson of the women’s affairs reform commission Shireen Parveen Huq, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad general secretary Maleka Banu, and founder general secretary of B-SCAN Salma Mahbub also participated in the panel discussion.

Additional secretary at the ministry of women and children affairs Mohammad Mukhlesur Rahman Sarker started the event with his welcome speech. He mentioned that there will be a series of activities all over the country throughout these 16 days which has been advised by the chief adviser himself.

Director general for the department of women affairs Keya Khan addressed the event as the special guest while, senior secretary at the ministry of women and children affairs Mumtaz Ahmed chaired the event.

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is a global campaign that runs annually from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, the Human Rights Day.  

Launched in 1991 by the Women’s Global Leadership Institute, the campaign mobilises individuals and organisations worldwide to advocate for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls, emphasising the need for urgent action to address this pervasive human rights violation.