Friday 12 December 2014

Bangladesh so far....

I'm here! And have been for a week already! Time flies by in this beehive of a city. When I arrived I have to say I was quite daunted: hundreds, or even thousands of faces peered through the fences at the airport. The trip to the hotel was helter-skelter through the streets packed with rickshaws, cars, cows, wheelbarrows and people weaving in and out of the traffic. We passed the 'Future Park' full of rickety looking fairground rides, people sorting foul-smelling rubbish, a pile of huge pieces of bamboo - probably for use as scaffolding, as well as vegetable and flower markets scattered through the shouting streets. One thing that strikes you is that there are just so many people - the 11th largest 'mega-city' in the world, with approximately 12 million inhabitants and the highest population growth in the world. Only 10% of houses are concrete, and at least 1/3 of residents are living in poverty (1).  However, everyone is doing something - mending clothes on a singer sewing machine in the street, carrying a basket full of live chickens or geese, riding an elephant through the streets, selling snacks or chai or betel leaf.
   So far I have worked with BRAC and spoken to participants in their microfinance programme (where BRAC lends typically up to 50,000 taka to women to start small businesses), Community Empowerment Programme (generally raising awareness of issues such as domestic abuse and early marriage), Health (observing community health worker giving advice and visiting households) and Human Rights and Legal Aid (HRLA) Programme - providing free advice and legal aid to those in need (approximately 80% of their cases involve domestic violence).
    I have also visited Bandhu Social Welfare Organisation, who work to promote the rights of gay and transgender people across the country, as well as acting as an umbrella organisation for a number of support groups and health clinics. They successfully lobbied the government in order to obtain 'third gender' status for the transgender population in November 2013, and in November 2014 they organised the very first Transgender Pride in Dhaka! I spent the afternoon with 'L' who identifies as 'hijra' (meaning transgender or 'third gender'). 'Hijra' is a term used in Bangladesh and some other parts of South Asia. The term describes those who are (usually) assigned male at birth but adopt feminine gender roles. The 'hijra' I have met so far describe their gender identity as 'transgender' or 'third gender'. Many 'hijra' have breast implants and/or surgery to remove their male genitalia. Some take the oral contraceptive pill in place of prescribed hormone medication (unavailable in Bangladesh) in order to enhance feminine characteristics. In Bangladesh, trans men or female to male (FTM) transsexuals are not visible or heard about (perhaps due to the lack of available hormones and safe gender reassignment surgery).
  'L' is a talented dancer, community leader and advocate for the rights of transgender people in Bangladesh. She took me to the Bandhu resource centre where I met transgender representatives and community leaders from all over Bangladesh, including the remote Chittagong (hill tracts) region where there remain indigenous tribes. The transgender community leaders had come to Dhaka for training in finance and leadership in order to better run their respective groups.
  In terms of my objectives for this project, to learn about the cultural beliefs and practices in South Asian communities which may contribute to domestic abuse, I have learnt a lot so far, and feel enlightened by what I have learned. I started with the aim of better understanding the notion of family 'honour' and how it might contribute to violence within the family. Many people have had difficulty expressing exactly what family 'honour' means (whether I am just not asking in the right way, I am not sure!) In terms of family values, the general consensus is that family bonding is so tight, that families just want the best for their children and this is what informs some of the (maybe misguided) decisions that might be made. This includes the family choosing the best husband (in the girls 'best interest') and marrying girls to husbands from overseas so that they might have a better life. There is, however, increasing acceptance that women want to choose their own husband and I have witnessed community mobilisation against early marriage. Furthermore (somewhat a surprise to me), rather than being ashamed and dismissive of a woman who has experienced domestic abuse, according to a lawyer working with BRAC HRLA programme, the family and community are generally supportive of the woman.
  A families lack of tolerance and support for their child if they are showing signs of gender non-conformity or homosexuality, could also be to do with 'best interests' - not just for the child who is showing these signs, but also for the other family members. The family feels they must try to prevent their child being gay or transgender, as society will not accept it and their life will be very difficult. Of course, in Bangladesh, homosexual relationships remain illegal, and transgender people (despite their legal 'third gender' status) still experience multiple problems with earning money, being denied housing or health care and often experience discrimination and abuse. Furthermore other family members will be affected by a family members sexuality or gender identity by default: 'L' informed me that she is only in touch with her family by telephone because the families of her nieces future husbands will not allow them to marry into their family if it is known that there is a 'hijra' in the family. 'L' reported that all transgender people in Bangladesh experience problems with their family.
  So in conclusion, so far I have heard that domestic abuse in Bangladesh is not necessarily about family 'honour', it is about a lack of women's empowerment. It is about fear. It is about ignorance. But things are definitely changing for the better here! In terms of how this knowledge can be applied in London, I have some ideas but it will take a bit more thought!

The picture is of Minara, who married at age 13, and now attends BRAC Community Empowerment Programme group - to learn about issues such as health, education, child-care and domestic abuse.

1) The World Bank Group (2013) Urban Growth: A Challenge and an Opportunity. [Online]  http://go.worldbank.org/K67SR8GMQ0 [Accessed 12/12/14]

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