Behind the Wall: Gender & domestic abuse - WCMT fellowship India & Bangladesh

As some of you may know I have been awarded a 2014 Winston Churchill Memorial Trust travel fellowship, to travel to India and Bangladesh and research the issues surrounding domestic abuse and gender issues in these two diverse countries. It is known that, to some extent, issues such as honour-based abuse and acid violence occur within families and communities here in the UK. Certainly, within our society, there currently seems to be a backlash against strong females, and online abuse and misogyny seem to be becoming ever more prevalent. Furthermore, according to Office of National Statistics figures, recorded rape in the UK has risen by 29% in 2014 from last year (BBC 2014). There have also been suggestions that honour based violence is on the increase (Guardian 2011). 

In terms of abuse within South Asian communities, I first considered these issues when I cared for a woman in A&E who had been brought to London as a victim of forced marriage. It made me realise how many women attend A&E with their family or their partner, and how easily their abuse might go unseen. Whether because of language barriers, not wishing to seem culturally insensitive, lack of time, or not wishing to 'open a can of worms', we as health professionals might not always question the story given for a persons injury or presentation, or pick up on the subtle signs of abuse

I felt I needed to get to the bottom of this problem, and with funding from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, I have been given the incredible opportunity to travel to Bangladesh and India to face up to  these issues first hand. Through visiting various organisations and meeting survivors of abuse, as well as experts in the field, I hope to gain a diverse perspective of the multi-faceted problem of domestic abuse: I want to find out about 'honour' and how it may contribute to abuse within families (and whether this can also be applied to people outside of a South Asian background). I will delve in to the question of gender, asking what it means to be a man or a woman in today's society. How much does violence stem from stepping outside of one's perceived 'gender role'? I want to ask why violence occurs and why figures are on the increase in the UK. Is it, as some experts argue, because more victims are coming forward, or are there other reasons?  

At the moment, I only have questions, but hopefully soon I will have some answers! Please keep following my blog and I appreciate any comments.

Twitter @freethechangeUK


BBC (2014) Rapes increase by 29% as overall crime falls in England and Wales. [Online] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29642455 [Accessed 23rd October 2014] 

Guardian (2011) 'Honour' crimes against women in UK rising rapidly, figures show. [Online] http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/dec/03/honour-crimes-uk-rising [Accessed 23rd October 2014] 

(Picture taken in Manila, Philippines 2011).