Woman-to-woman suppression and violence in Bangladesh: Myth or reality?

Abstract

Equality of genders is not only an important social and moral issue, but it is also desirable in order to protect a fundamental human right, produce peaceful societies that maximise human potential, and further sustainable development. In today's world, the topic of violence and suppression committed by women against other women is gaining attention as yet another kind of gender-based violence that has to be discussed in order to create a society in which women and men are treated equally. This problem of women oppressing other women and committing acts of violence against each other is closely connected to the goals of empowering women, advancing their cause, and closing the gender gap more generally. Despite the fact that it has a huge effect on society, however, this issue is not discussed nearly as frequently as "man doing violence to women" (also known as "man-to-woman violence") in Bangladesh. The patriarchal culture of Bangladesh and its predetermined social roles equip the country with all of those unequal power distributions, which are not only carried out by males but also by women. This study demonstrates beyond a reasonable doubt that woman-to-woman suppression and violence in Bangladesh is not a myth but rather a pervasive problem. This study studied the nature, reasons, experiences, and repercussions of woman-to-woman violence in Bangladesh using qualitative interviews and focus-group discussions with respondents. The findings brought to light several ideas for potential solutions to this emerging challenge. This study urges further research and policy initiatives to reduce the prevalence of gender-based woman-to-woman suppression and violence in Bangladesh. It contributes to the growing recognition of gender-based women-on-women suppression and violence in Bangladesh and adds to the growing body of evidence supporting this recognition