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!