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South Asian women`s meet against violence opens in Bangladesh
Dhaka, Aug 11: Women from South Asia gathered in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka today for a three-day conference on violence which will include a symbolic court where women can give evidence about abuse.
Dhaka, Aug 11: Women from South Asia gathered in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka today for a three-day conference on violence which will include a symbolic court where women can give evidence about abuse.
"Some 1,500 women will take part tomorrow in the South Asian 'women's court' to lodge complaints against abuses," said Farida Akhter, executive director of Ubinig, a Bangladeshi non-government group that is one of the organisers of the event.
The court will record the testimony of Bangladeshi women who have been victims of violence or trafficking and analyse expert statements, organisers said.
It will be the 18th sitting of the court, which has travelled to cities around South Asia. One of the "judges" will be Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, social activist and former wife of the former South African President Nelson Mandela.
Akhter told a news agency that Bangladesh was hosting the meeting because the trafficking of women, as well as children, was a particular problem here.
"Bangladesh is a victim country ... It is an issue that we have spoken about before and we will get a further boost, we hope, to stop the crime by holding this meet in Dhaka," said Akhter, who is one of Bangladesh's leading rights activists. The event is jointly organised by Ubinig and Narigrantha Probortona, another Bangladeshi non-government organisation. The sponsors include the United Nations Development Programme and Oxfam.
Bureau Report
The court will record the testimony of Bangladeshi women who have been victims of violence or trafficking and analyse expert statements, organisers said.
It will be the 18th sitting of the court, which has travelled to cities around South Asia. One of the "judges" will be Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, social activist and former wife of the former South African President Nelson Mandela.
Akhter told a news agency that Bangladesh was hosting the meeting because the trafficking of women, as well as children, was a particular problem here.
"Bangladesh is a victim country ... It is an issue that we have spoken about before and we will get a further boost, we hope, to stop the crime by holding this meet in Dhaka," said Akhter, who is one of Bangladesh's leading rights activists. The event is jointly organised by Ubinig and Narigrantha Probortona, another Bangladeshi non-government organisation. The sponsors include the United Nations Development Programme and Oxfam.
Bureau Report