25 Nov International Day Against Violence Against Women

Once again, 16 days against violence against women by Take Back the Tech, and please undertake one action per day to fight violence against women, children, and men.

This program starts on 25 Nov, which is the international day against violence against women, marked by many events and processions, even in Rangpur, Bangladesh. Unfortunately, this day receives little attention in the usa owing to the sad timing of post Thanksgiving shopping day;. However, many of us refused to buy into the consumer hype and observed "Buy Nothing Day" or "Boycotting Black Friday (sic)".

For a roundup of usa and international events, see this Ms. blog post and the Take Back the Tech site or #TakeBackTheTech, which is mapping events and actions. Many of us have taught, posted and protested against the ongoing violence against women in military, revolutionary, and resistance scenarios such as Arab Spring, USA military in Iraq & Afghanistan, reiterating that gender matters every day and especially on these sixteen days of action.

In my blog posts over time, I have noted the absence of any laws against domestic violence in Bangladesh. Some of us thought this had changed at the end of last year. The Bangladesh government finally framed " The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2010", which became law 30 Dec 10. Yet nearly one year later, the government has yet to generate the rules for enforcement and no woman can file a case for domestic violence! Meanwhile, women continue to be abused, injured, and murdered by their family members and near & dear ones among others. Hence, the ongoing need for effective laws and enforcement in Bangladesh as well as change in minds, cultures, and behaviors on these issues in all countries-settings.

As Day 2 argues, "Violence is not our culture! Change it!" identify spaces such as Facebook pages, news media, or other social media that promote violence against women and protest! Or identify progressive spaces and practices!

Days: 4-5: Be Your Own Expert; Women-Human Rights: Violence is Not Our Culture

Day 4: Who's the expert? Break a Myth!

See the assorted actions that challenge media's self-appointed experts and consider even starting your own wiki (if you are not sick of wikileak stories that ignore women's issues)...

We also need to acknowledge our own expertise. In Patricia Hill Collins' book, Black Feminist Thought (chapter 11, 2nd ed): she challenges definitions of positivist experts and proposes a Black Feminist Epistemology (how we know what we know) or four criteria that are helpful for all of us.

1) We look at/respect the "experts'" lived experiences and their knowledge-wisdom
2) We use dialogue in assessing claims re knowledge or expertise and willingness to share back and forth.
3) We use ethic of caring--talking from the heart & respect.
4) We have personal accountability for one's expertise and how results or expertise are used; motives

These four points are in contrast to positivist methodology that emphasizes:
1) distance between research and subject;
2) absence of emotions;
3) "value" free
4) adversarial debates decide truth

For dealing with statistics and VAW, Hill Collins' criteria have guided my own work as a sociologist-feminist from the North. I value women's lived experiences with VAW and their own lives through my own research and spending time in women's lives and experiences in Bangladesh. I listened to and engaged in dialogue about my own understandings and women's and men's understandings. I also learned to be open about my own values, roles, and perspectives in gathering the oral and statistical data. Some times, based on these experiences, dialogues and feedback with Bangladesh colleagues, staff, and respondents, I changed my research questions, methodologies, and perspectives.

For example, instead of just listing signs of an abused woman in the Bangladesh domestic violence resource brochure, AKM Saiful Islam and I listed the signs of a good relationship (eng p2;. bn p2) first and signs of abusive relationships second. At the same time, I maintained that VAW was NOT just a matter of culture. Finally, I sought to be accountable for my research and my presence as well as the consequences for women participants and staff as I shared the research.

I suggest incorporating these criteria on our ways to empowering women to become experts in their own lives: listen to the women and their expertise because they have lived through VAW and suffered the consequences as well as being experts on survival. Support those who work through legal, political, and institutions to end violence against women. Share your experiences with one another inside and outside of the family to end the isolation and conspiracy of silence to maintain honor. Finally, reach out to one another if you suspect abuse.

Likewise, often when men heard that I was doing research on VAW in Bangladesh, they told me that they also were abused. I started listening to their narratives and learned what experiences they had defined as abuse: harsh words-actions from their spouse, socio-emotional dynamics of couples, and dowry and other pressures from their families. Although none of these narratives justified the physical, socio-emotional abuse, and abandonment of wives, the men's narratives gave me more insights on domestic violence in Bangladesh and possible solutions.



Day 5: Violence is not Our Culture--International Campaign







Read more about the campaign to stop stoning, honor killings, and other violence against women in the same of culture, religion, or tradition. Support women who bravely speak up for women's and human rights rather than demonizing and punishing them in the name of culture, religion.

Likewise, hold politicians accountable for what I call "opportunistic use of gender", where they use women's issues, rights, and/or violence against women as justifications for military action most recently in Afghanistan and Iraq, among other arenas. Then assorted leaders turn to "cultural" reasons for ignoring women rights, empowerment and well-being in these countries' new/old regimes and in the presence of USA and allied forces for nine years! Ann Jones in argues that "Afghan women have already been abandoned." For example, escalating violence against women is cited as a reason for the USA presence in Afghanistan despite increasing Talibanization of Afghanistan. Male leaders have excluded women from negotiations-deliberations about reintegration of the Taliban.

So please read these and the women's stories from around the world on the campaign website...culture increasingly has been used to justify violence in the USA- Dr. Tiller's murder as well as around the world.

See also: Zainab Salbi: Women, wartime and the dream of peace | Video on TED.com

Day 2: Get the statistics & petition a politician!

check out the TTBT campaign video and the linked videos below

Daily Actions
read more on the TBTT site

As a sociologist, I've known the difficulties of collecting and compiling data over time on sexual assault, rape, and domestic violence in my university town(s) as well as my more recent experiences working on domestic violence issues in Bangladesh. "Official" population or survey data are limited owing to the sensitivity of the questions as well as the survivors' experiences definition of harassment, rape, sexual assault and of shame-blame/honor/family and so forth. These data challenges occur around the world.

In the USA, we have had access to such data since the 1980s and we still have varying estimates such as 1 in 3 women experience sexual assault in their lifetimes and 1/4 domestic violence. Definitions also vary among researchers in USA and else where. Do these estimates refer to harsh words, grabbing, hitting, injuring, rape, and/or some combination, including death? Some women seek an order of protection, which may restrict contact with an abuser, but doesn't provide ironclad security against another assault. The filing of charges and convictions are even lower although changes in laws, police enforcement, legal advocates, and support have improved reporting and sanctions from previous levels. For example, when I started teaching at my university in the early 1980s, women students who reported stalking by men had few legal options. These newer laws had provided some legal recourse (although still difficult to charge and prosecute).

All these factors have led to ongoing underestimates of the problems and less attention to the causes and solutions by lawmakers, legal authorities, governments, and civil society. Ironically, domestic violence shelters have seen more demands for their services during the ongoing economic recession, while the state governments and funders have dramatically cut their funding. So one action for these 16 days might be to donate money, goods, and time to local domestic violence shelters and programs.

This use/misuse of ICT has received some attention mostly in widely publicized cases of abuse/bullying on basis of gender, sexuality, race-ethnicity (or intersections) on social networking sites by fake accounts, mobiles-cell phone use of photos, videos, sexting, and other activities. These forms of harassment have led to suicides, deaths, and socio-emotional trauma and only then do we hear about more cases across the USA. At the same time, some cell apps such as Hollaback can help pinpoint harassers and their locations. Once again we need more systematic data on these abuses as well as timely education and solutions on bullying, abuse of power, and harassment via newer forms of ICT such as social networks, smart phones, video cameras, and more!

In contexts where government and legal authorities have ignored or paid limited attention to sexual assault and domestic violence in the paucity of laws or enforcement and gathering data, we need to encourage the gathering of good, quality, and unbiased data on these crimes and their legal outcomes as well as concrete action and education. Meanwhile governments, schools, and parents will continue ignore how harassers and abusers find ways to use ICT to harass and abuse women through phone calls, social networks, sexting, broadcase of videos-photos (from mobiles and webcams) and more. Education also includes training young women and men on the vagaries and respectful use of ICT. For example, when posting "fun party" pictures on the internet, many people remain unaware that their images and words will stay on the internet and social networking sites. These materials can be retrieved by employers and future partners & in-laws by a simple google search. Some posters/postees have lost their jobs as a result. Likewise, adda-gossip-and facts about certain domestic violence-murder cases that went viral out on social media continue to circulate. This information can serve to inform-alert as well as serve as cautionary tales for what happens if women do and/or do not speak up. The TTBT site has many good suggestions and ideas for safe surfing and participation.

This brings me specifically to Bangladesh, which only in spring 2010 approved legislation against domestic violence despite rates that rank among the highest in the world. Unfortunately, the enforcement of laws against violence against women such as sexual assault, acid throwing, and sexual harassment, eve-teasing, and bullying have been limited and politicized. As more girls and young women attend schools, eve-teasing (illegal in Bangladesh) has limited women's education and mobility (see Bangladesh battles sexual bullying) and increased young women's suicides. In response the government has increased some police patrols outside of schools and some undercover women police in schools. This media report 500 arrests...and I wonder how many convictions and actual punishment for these actions and when eve-teasers turn on guardians?

As more and more Bangladeshi have acquired mobiles, such devices have become another vehicle for communication and harassment (ofen anon.) especially among young women and men who have little experience with respectful communication with each other. I observed this among male staff in a research project who used their mobiles in courting phone calls (bhalobashi kotha--love talk--I called it). Computer teachers and I talked with young women who came to the now closed Nari Jibon office in their mobile and internet communication including voice chats. We tried to provide some training on safe use of the internet and ICT. I wonder how they are faring in the expanded use of mobiles as well as the limited safe cyber cafes-spaces of the internet?

This can even affect bideshis (foreigners) as myself with unwanted phone calls by men who randomly call numbers until they reach a woman, esp foreigner (I've written about this in earlier blogposts). I threatened to call the mobile provider and police if he persisted in his phone calls. If politicians and law enforcers lack the will to deal with existing laws while insisting that every cell phone be registered to a listed person, then once again overburdened women's organizations and like-minded allies-- including the media-- must document and publicize the various ICT abuses and incidents.

So reach out and "touch" some one respectfully with kind, thoughtful words via your venue of choice...and insist that we have good data and practices dealing with those who abuse ICT.

In line with Day 3, on slogans....Refuse to be Abused....

Southall Black Sisters need your support to avoid closure

Photo from Louise, Demonstration at Ealing Council, "Save Southhall Black Sisters"

(belated note from nov....Southall Black Sisters won their case re funding in July 2008 and you can see more pictures and comments here from the above photographer, Louise) .....

In February, I wrote:....I've recently learned that the Southall Black Sisters, a resource centre for Asian & African Caribbean women facing violence and abuse in West London and an exemplar for such programmes around the world, is facing closure because their main funder will withdraw funding by April 2008. This centre has done extraordinary work in shelter, advocacy with the Asian-African-Caribbean diasporas, as well as leading campaigns against forced and child marriages. Their major funding source (Ealing Council) has decided to end specialist services or streamline, e.g. combine domestic violence services, even multi-ethnic resources are needed...one size fits all programming does not work in address domestic violence and abuse. Please go to the Southhall Black Sisters (SBS) link to learn more about this vital organization as well as how you can provide support by writing letters to their funder and donate-contact SBS.

Ironically, I learned about this potential closure on a day when Womensenews published a report and data on child-forced marriages, which includes many of the countries whose migrants receive services from Southall Black Sisters either in London and/or where women are forced into marriages with men-families who have migrated to London and elsewhere. Bangladesh is #3 on the list of forced-child marriages despite much funding of anti-child marriage programmes.

Please share this information and provide support and letters!

According to SBS information and from F-Word:

"The group is calling for supporters to contact the council and voice our discontent with this decision. The person to contact is:

Jason Stacey
Leader of Ealing Council
Ealing Town Hall
Uxbridge Road
Ealing
W5 2BY
jason.stacey@ealing.gov.uk

Out Against Abuse blogsite

Also cross-posted in Bangladesh from Our View

As readers of this blog know, I have been very interested in issues of violence against women, in particular, domestic violence in Bangladesh and where ever Bangladeshi women migrate as students, wives, and family members as well as in the USA. I have encouraged readers to learn more and reach out to one another and give support to organizations within their own communities. I'm very excited by a new website, Out Against Abuse, started in January 2008 to educate and organize the South Asian community in USA against gender abuse-domestic violence through information, interviews with activists, and comments-participation by readers. Please go to this blogsite, bookmark it, and read through the posts to date. The most recent post is a very informative interview with Dr. Nusrat Ameen, law professor, activist, and author of Wife Abuse in Bangladesh: An Unrecognized Offence, UPL, 2005.

The co-founders, Sabrin Chowdhury, executive director and Raj Gupta, technology director, provide their mission statement. They looking for more interviews with activists, commentary on gender abuse, information about events and resources. You can contact Out Against Abuse: info@outagainstabuse.org.

In the following section, Sabrin Chowdhury writes about the purpose of Out Against Abuse:

Educating Our Community: Taking the First Step Against Gender Abuse

“Two out of five South Asian women have experienced partner violence, a rate disproportionately higher than that of other minority groups,” – www.dayahouston.org.

Domestic violence is defined as “a pattern of abusive behavior which keeps one partner in a position of power over the other partner through the use of fear, intimidation, and control*,” and is an ongoing problem that continues to plague women from all around the world. South Asian women tend to suffer from problems of gender abuse at a much more severe rate than other races; however, the topic of domestic violence is one that is rarely discussed in the South Asian community.

The problem stems from the fact that many of us do not realize how vast the effects of abuse can be and how instances of domestic violence have a grave impact on many other problems in our community. Unfortunately domestic violence is not an issue of the past and is not limited to just rural and economically disadvantaged women in South Asian countries. More and more we hear about incidents of violence committed against highly educated and independent women. In many instances these women feel forced to stay in abusive relationships due to the societal stigma that comes from failed marriages or relationships and the lack of awareness of how to deal with domestic violence in general. Many people also wrongly believe abuse to only refer to physical violence. However, domestic abuse includes physical, sexual, economic and emotional abuse, creating an atmosphere of fear and despair for the victim.

I believe that the first step in putting an end to gender abuse is educating ourselves and our community. Out Against Abuse is a blog based website devoted to discussing the issues surrounding domestic violence and gender based abuse in the South Asian community. The blog will be updated with articles discussing key women’s issues and also with interviews conducted with various activists working to combat domestic abuse. This forum was created to increase awareness and discussion in the South Asian community about gender based abuse. The more we become conscious and educated about the issue, the harder we can work at ending violence against women. But for that we need your thoughts, comments, and collaboration to spread the word in our community.

With that, I leave you with the question: What actions can we exactly take to educate our community and put a stop to violence against women? Whether the impact is great or small, how can we all do our part to end violence?

* http://www.apiahf.org/apidvinstitute/ResearchAndPolicy/factsheet.htm

DAY 13/shift space-Monowara Begum who faced domestic violence after marriage

On Day 13, the Take Back the Tech crew invite you to get geeky and try on some different add-ons for Firefox that enable you to add post-type notes via Shift-shapes and make and share comments with friends who have this add-on installed. Have fun!

I want to hightlight the brave & frank video made by Nari Jibon's computer teacher and blogging coordinator, Taslima: Monowara Begum who faced domestic violence after marriage
In this Bangla video on YouTube, Monowara tells about the domestic violence that she experienced from her in-laws. You also see her printing the english alphabet and showing what she has learned at Nari Jibon. Some english narrative about Monowara's life is included in this post, including her resilence through loss of one daughter, birth of two sons, estrangement, and reconcilation with her husband, and her Bangla and hopefully tailoring education at Nari Jibon.

This video was originally posted on Bangladesh from Our View blog and is Nari Jibon's contribution to the 16 days campaign to eliminate violence against women.

Nari Jibon's blogging activities are supported in part by Rising Voices-Global Voices, which seek to expand citizen media around the world through small seed grants. You can link to the Rising Voices website to read more about blogging projects in Bolivia, Colombia, Sierra Leone, and Kolkata.

Justice for Nadine delayed again--fugitive Sajid Huq again no show in NYC court 3 Dec

NEW RESOURCE ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN JANUARY 2008:
NEW BLOGSITE OUT AGAINST ABUSE TO EDUCATE AND ORGANIZE THE SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITY ABOUT DOMESTIC-GENDER ABUSE--PLEASE READ, COMMENT, AND SHARE THIS RESOURCE

In regard to (lack of) Justice for Nadine:

Her alleged abuser and rapist, fugitive Sajid Huq, missed a second court date on 3 December in New York City. An erstwhile Columbia University graduate student, he has been absconding since missing his first court date (1 Nov--warrant issued). Meanwhile, he (and his friends) have been posting his rationalizations for his abuse-rape on various blogs via a variety of names. See for example, in mid November, the excellent post on the case by Abdul Kargo and the ensuing comments--some by Sajid et al in T'ings 'n Things "What is a woman's worth measured against?". See my own recent post on the case and coverage in Bideshi Blue and other posts-links in the last month.

You can read more about this case on the Justice for Nadine facebook page, 9,411 and counting members from around the world, including pictures of Nadine post assault and also picture of Sajid. Pls inform the police and/or call 911 if you see him.


My thoughts are with Nadine and her family-friends during this difficult time.

Beyond this case, please reach out: listen and learn more and join community discussions and programs on domestic violence and violence against women VAW such as OUT AGAINST ABUSE ...where ever you are.

Day 4/Media, Sexism, VAW & Blog Coverage Justice For Nadine

On this day, we look the media & sexism in its mixed coverage of rape, dowry, and domestic violence. Media coverage can be complicated in countries such as Bangladesh with little reliable data on VAW and where legal and advocacy organizations must rely on news stories to count incidents and severity. In Bangladesh, most data on sexual assault and domestic violence come from newspaper story compiled by NGOs and human rights organizations such as Odikhar, Mahila Parishad, and Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association. These counts depend on the willingness of media reporters to write the stories and of the survivors to talk with reporters and/or people outside of the family. Some reporters can provide reliable reports and understanding of the power-gender dynamics, while others write stories with a sensational nature, victim-blame or as entertainment. Often coverage of any one case ends after the initial article and readers have no sense of the legal resolutions of cases as happened in the case of tortured-murder Rahela, a garment worker in 2004 among others.

An ongoing case that exemplifies these issues is the media and less than critical blogosphere coverage of a domestic violence-rape case filed in New York City in September against a Bangladeshi graduate student, Sajid, who allegedly beat and raped his wife, Nadine. He failed to show up for his court hearing in NYC in beginning of November and is a fugitive, who has continued to blog under his and a variety of fake names. Rather than to deny the charge, in his trail of blog posts-emails, he has described-justified his behaviors, which originally resulted in his arrest by NYC police. In turn, he has made a series of allegations about Nadine, none of which would stand as a defense against his abuse and rape charges in USA courts.

Concerned about the brutality and events in this case, others set up a Facebook page, Justice for Nadine, which provided support & information & post-abuse photos about her case and has responded to Sajid's et al ongoing postings. Soon they refused to get into point-counterpoint discussions and ceased responding to an onslaught of emails and pseudonym posts by Sajid et al. Missing from most of these blogs--any understanding of issues surrounding marital rape, domestic violence, and the gender power dynamics. Instead, many of the posts read like adda or gossip.

After an initial flurry of posts in October, most bloggers had ended their coverage until the middle of November when, Abdul Kargo wrote an excellent post, "What Is a Woman’s Worth Measured Against? Blogger Kargo has thoughtfully and deftly dealt with the variety of comments-issues generated by his readers and the reappearance of Sajid et al, who closed down his blog about the time Kargo wrote his post. During this month, some of the comments by Sajid et al have become repetitive intellectual excuses for his criminal behaviors and insulting language directed toward Nadine and those who seek an end to VAW. Others have challenged such comments, discussed the dynamics of VAW and responses when women speak up. They called for a change in in the nature of the comments posts and more community action to combat VAW. Today, I posted this comment #99, which expresses my sentiments on this case and the thread:

"Last night I wanted to say bash/shesh–enough, stop. Allowing fugitive sajid et al another forum to repeat their bogus pomo excuses over and over again creates ‘revictimization’, esp for survivors of abuse who may be reading. This also gives others the cautionary tale of what might happen to them if she speaks up, files charges, etc. or if their abuser-rapist is still at large b/c he did not show up for his court hearing. Dec 3 is his next opportunity.

From 25 Nov-10 Dec is the International 16 Days Campaign to Eliminate Violence against Women. Today—day four—asks people to look at their media (blogosphere) for coverage of violence against women and to note sensationalistic coverage & posts. As we’ve seen in this ongoing thread and other blog coverage, these ‘discussions’ ignore that most rapists & abusers know their victims; in such posts, abusers and some bloggers reduce the case to titillating & entertaining details, and ignore the unequal power relationships in rapes and domestic abuse that result in lingering physical, socio-emotional injuries and even death.

As reflected in others’ comments, I also encourage people to educate themselves more about these issues and get in involved community discussion and action such as recently initiated by Adhunika and Sakhi in NYC.

****Check out a new resource from January 2008: New Blogsite OUT AGAINST ABUSE to educate and organize the South Asian Community about domestic violence-gender abuse--please read, comment, and discuss this resource!****

For more info about the 16 days campaign:
http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu/16days/home.html

and to use ICT-blogs to end violence against women:
http://www.takebackthetech.net/frontpage"

Finally, I reiterate the points that I made in comment #5 in early November:

1. Sajid is a fugitive, who skipped his court hearing over charges filed in USA (they will not be transferred to Bangladesh!). Next hearing date: 3 December.
2. None of his posts-rationalizations about his USA felony charges will work in any USA court defense.
3. Any people who have been hiding him from police and the court can be subject to charges of obstruction of justice.
4. If Sajid is on a student visa at Colombia University and has not been attending classes because he is in hiding, then he is violating the terms of his student visa and subject to deportation. Immigration and SEVIS are probably very interested in finding him, too.

Nari Jibon Project, change-making, and justice

I would rather write about:

The powerful and wonderful girls & women at the Nari Jibon Project who are learning alternative skills such as literacy in Bangla, tailoring rather than sewing, literacy in English, how to use, write and create with, and repair computers, and finally writing thoughtful posts and taking photos-videos about their lives on the Nari Jibon blogs in English and Bangla. These girls & women are doing all these activities in an affordable, safe, secure, caring environment at Nari Jibon in classes and the women-only cyber cafe!

The joys of receiving emails, photos, videos, and blog posts from Nari Jibon students and staff who come from a country stereotyped as poor and uneducated in computer technology.

The joys of seeing older women write their first letters, words, and stories in Bangla and for young women to show me how they can use different fonts on the computer.

Also the caring female and male staff who make this possible and the daughters and sons who come to the Nari Jibon with their sisters, mothers, grandmothers, aunties, and male guardians: brothers, uncles, fathers, and husbands.

I would rather write about these activities, blog posts, and grants to fund this project, my stories and experiences in Bangladesh and elsewhere, my flowers, and of course, my kittens.

Why write so much on violence against women?

I write because:

• a social litmus test for societies is how they treat women and children
• until all women are safe, no women are safe (as well as the rest of their society)
• all of us come from women: mothers, grandmothers and we also have aunts, sisters, daughters, and female relatives
• 1/3 women in their lifetime will experience some form of violence-abuse
• nothing justifies such violence against women, children, and men—not assorted rationalizations, misinformation--nothing
• domestic violence is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality

What to do?

In recent posts on this blog, I have given links to websites on resources and groups that challenge violence and can provide support in USA and Bangladesh. I have given information on some recent and not so recent cases of domestic violence and violence against Bangladeshi women, petitions about these cases, and places-gatherings for more information. Finally, I have encouraged everyone to educate themselves about resources, discuss these issues with friends, family, classmates, and colleagues before, during, and even after marriage, and to provide support (funds, volunteer, donate) to groups that do the hard work and advocacy to end violence against women.

In the words of Audre Lorde (African American poet, writer, teacher, & activist), “your silence will not protect you”:

"I have come to believe over and over again, that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood.... My silences had not protected me. Your silence will not protect you.... and while we wait in silence for that final luxury of fearlessness, the weight of that silence will choke us. The fact that we are here and that I speak these words is an attempt to break that silence and bridge some of those differences between us, for it is not difference which immobilizes us, but silence. And there are so many silences to be broken."
Audre Lorde (The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action, Sister Outsider.

Let's start speaking up!

Justice delayed....

In regard to Justice for Rahela and Nadine, Justice has been delayed once again.

Earlier this week, witness(es) in the Rahela (tortured-murdered garment worker) case DID NOT show up in court. According to the Facebook group, Justice for Rahela (and other sources) the court proceedings have been DELAYED until first week of January 2008. Perhaps various petitioners and women's groups in Bangladesh should request a SPEEDY TRIAL for Rahela's case, who died in September 2004.

Today, according to Facebook group, Justice for Nadine, her accused husband, Sajid Huq, a graduate student at Columbia University did not show up for his hearing in New York City in response to his many charges for the abuse/rape of his wife (Nadine). A warrant has been issued for his arrest. Much speculation about where he might have fled. If you know of his whereabouts, please inform the New York City police or authorities where ever you are. Pictures of him can be found on the Justice for Nadine website (as well as her non-photoshopped pictures post abuse).

My thoughts are with Nadine (and her safety) and for the soul of Rahela (and other working women who risk their lives going to and from work and ordinary activities).

Beyond signing up for a Facebook group, here are some other things that all of us (women and men) can do:

• For all of us, reach out to one another and do not suffer alone with abuse or knowledge of abuse (for the sake of honor, izzat, family name or fear of what stories people might say).

• Listen to and believe women, especially the brave ones who speak up despite all the taunts-misinformation hurled at them as well as threats to their families (as has occurred in Nadine's case). Talk with your family and friends about these issues and problems before they occur, during discussions of marriage, and afterwards. Domestic violence still occurs at a much higher rate in Bangladesh than in most other countries; women in the migration-diaspora also experience domestic violence as has occurred in Nadine's and others' cases.
  

• Provide time and support to organizations in your community-city-country that work on such issues, because many of them need allies-translators-advocates from your own groups. Know about these organizations, because you and/or your friends may need them for information and help. Share this information with your family, friends, blog, and your Facebook wall!
  

• Work to make sure that Bangladesh and other countries enact and enforce real laws against domestic violence, which leads to many other consequences such as higher maternal mortality, lowered life expectancy among other problems (no such law exists in Bangladesh despite many years-funds-meetings-protests).
  

Ending Domestic Violence

Since 2005, I have hosted a website of resources on domestic violence in Bangladesh (in Bangla and English) as well state by state resources for South Asian women in USA.

Website address: www.siu.edu/~narijibon/DADV.htm

Many women and men in Bangladesh know little of available resources due to lack of information even though Bangladeshi women experience some of the highest rates of domestic violence in the world (see Ruchira Naveed's [ICDDRB] and others' excellent work). Many women do not want to discuss their struggles and abuse outside of their families.

Knowledge of Bangladeshi and USA resources is very important because Domestic violence (and other forms of violence) travel with migrants and back and forth. Given the transnational locations of many family members, the survivors may be in one country while the abusers move back and forth; and abusers’ families threaten the survivors’ families (esp in Bangladesh).

Recently the Daily Star reported on a Bangladeshi woman (Nadine) who is fighting for her life in New York city after her new husband, blogger-writer, and Columbia university lecturer (Sajid Huq) allegedly beat and raped her. She called the police who arrested Sajid on rape and abuse charges. Her abusive husband's elite family is threatening her family with false cases. More recently many prominent Bangladeshi women's organizations and leaders have protested the continued harassment of Nadine and her family and called for justice in Bangladesh and USA. Another blog provides insights and pictures from survivor Nadine. Some have organized on Facebook a group to provide Justice for Nadine! while others are speaking up and writing to challenge the victim-blaming anti-Nadine activities of the abuser's, family, and friends who have posted misinformation on these websites!

These adamant denials, reprisals, and harassment against an educated woman from an elite family show the continued need for more education and activism against violence against women in all contexts and classes. Many women know when they speak up and refuse to be abused or file charges, that others will step up their abuse of the woman and her family to keep them silent and/or in their place or drop charges. Or com/promises to behave are made and the cycle of abuse continues. If this can happen to an elite women, what is a poor woman to do?

At least, the USA has laws against domestic violence and rape that an immigrant woman can use if she knows of them and/or trusts the police, while Bangladesh still has no specific laws against domestic violence despite many meetings, networks, and donor dollars. Meanwhile, the results from USA immigration laws-policy on migrants seeking asylum in USA from abusive partners who hold their spousal visas have been so-so, even though abused women can seek a visa in their own right (please contact a shelter program near you in USA for more information). At the same time, the abused woman was supposed to report promptly her abuse to the local police in USA, but many women do not trust the USA police and/or do not know of any options. Further, in 2005 and onwards, I have learned that many USA and Bangladeshi organizations did not have one another’s contact information to share information about laws and programmes. I have continued to share these resources over time, for example, the excellent links on Adhunika's domestic violence post.

****Check out a new resource from January 2008: New Blogsite OUT AGAINST ABUSE to educate and organize the South Asian Community about domestic violence-gender abuse--please read, comment, and discuss this resource!****

I hope to update the article resources soon. I would appreciate any comments, updates, as well. These resources were developed as part of my research-work in Bangladesh with Dr. Rifat Akhter (who developed USA resource list), Dr. Mahmuda Islam (who visited many USA locations and informed my Bangladesh work), and Mr. Saiful Islam (who has visited many NGOS working to end domestic violence in Bangladesh and co-wrote and translated the English-Bangla brochure).

Bhalo thakben to all the brave women and men who are working to end violence against women, children, and men!

also cross posted on Bangladesh from Our View

Why I decided to start blogging

Greetings from kbw a/k/a pagol nari. I've decided to take the blogging plunge after the Nari Jibon Project received a Global Voices/Rising Voices blogging grant this summer. After learning much more about Global Voices and other assorted blogs and the growing power(s) of citizen media, I started thinking about my own blog. Then the Blogging Dol has been having much fun with their English and Bangla blogs--and I had much more that I wanted to say than would fit into a few Nari Jibon Blog posts.

I've been going back and forth from USA to Bangladesh since 2000 when first I traveled on a women's studies consultancy. During my seven trips to Bangladesh, I saw and talked many interesting women and men regarding challenges of women workers, micro-credit, and empowerment. I returned with some graduate students and started on a series of research and action projects on domestic violence resources and women's work opportunities in garments and other sectors during global restructuring. During two extended fellowships (2002-3; 2004-5), I had more opportunities to learn about women's and men's daily lives and also wonder about what women could do if they had to change or lost their jobs to economic restructuring. I met some very interesting young girls-boys on the streets, women workers in different occupations, including garment, sex, and domestic work, housewives, beggars, teachers, professors, NGO activists, businesswomen among others. I also met some men who had their own struggles-issues. I also learned enough Bangla to bargain and get in to trouble.

From these experiences, the Nari Jibon Program emerged and you can read more about this unique training program via the links and my posts. You will also hear about my ongoing research and different perspectives on women's issues, programming, so-called empowerment, and opportunistic uses of gender. I will reflect as well as on being a bideshi (foreigner) in Bangladesh-a moderate Muslim country-post September 2001, during the Iraqi invasion in 2003 (grounded-embedded in my guesthouse by the US Embassy!) and assorted floods and socio-economic-political upheavals, including postponed elections and a military backed care-taker government. However, I've learned some resilience from my stays in Bangladesh and from people who persevere nonetheless.

About my background, I grew up mostly in Western Kansas, Russell, to be specific. During my Bangladesh times, the famous quote from Wizard of Oz came to my mind: "Toto, I don't think we are in Kansas, anymore." Two other (in) famous people from Russell, Ks, former KS Senator, Bob Dole and a current PA Senator, Arlen Spector. I went to Fort Hays State University for a degree in Sociology and feminist activism, then off to University of Iowa for my advanced degrees in the same topics. Then I came to scenic Southern Illinois in 1982 and have continued my research on women in global economy and other re-visioning projects since then.

Alas, I am in the USA, starting my fall 2007 semester at my university, working on research & mainstream articles on domestic violence, 2004 floods in Bangladesh, fundraising for Nari Jibon, plotting my next trip, and thinking of my flooded and waterlogged friends and staff in Bangladesh. I'm staring at my overgrown, dry, neglected native plant gardens that have been overrun by honey suckle and more virulent poison ivy in my long-term absences. Nonetheless, many of the plants-shrubs have persevered, despite obvious global warming, droughts, extended growing seasons (we can plant tomatoes mid April instead of May), and temperature extremes.

Enough about me. As soon as I get my class syllabus finished, you will be hearing more about some of the people and flowers that I met-photographed in Bangladesh and other deep thoughts.