In Nepal, violence during pregnancy accounts for an estimated 15% of all GBV cases.¹ The Nepal Ministry of Health's 2001 Demographic Survey found that on average, more than 40 percent of men thought that one of the following was a justification for beating their wife: burning food, answering back, going out with telling him, neglecting the children, and refusing to have sex.

In Bangladesh, an estimated 47 percent of women are reported to suffer from GBV.² A study of violence against women conducted by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs over the period 1990-1997 found a significant increase in several types of violence, including homicides and trafficking. For instance, the number of reported acid attacks increased from 21 cases in 1990 to 117 in 1997 - an almost six-fold increase. Likewise, the number of reported rapes increased from 407 in 1990 to 2224 in 1997 - an increase of over 500 percent.

Anecdotal evidence, provided by frontline staff of the Family Planning Association of Bangladesh, identifies husbands and mother-in-laws as the main perpetrators of GBV.

Women from lower socio-economic groups are more likely to be victims of GBV and are less likely to be ale to access services or the justice system. Poverty is also one of the major factors underpinning early marriage, a practice commonly found across the globe, but is pervasive in Africa and South Asia: in Bangladesh 51 percent of girls aged 15-19 are married. ³  An early marriage almost certainly results in premature pregnancy significantly increasing the risks of death and disability for both mother and child. Globally, it is also likely to lead to a lifetime of domestic and sexual subservience and physical abuse. ⁴ 

Although the governments of Nepal and Bangladesh have sought to promote policy reform in such areas as dowry related deaths, honour killings and trafficking of young women and girls, these measures have largely failed. Moreover, despite the ratification of a number of international conventions by the governments of both countries of both countries protecting the rights of women, the fact remains that there are no effective national level policies to address GBV in Bangladesh and Nepal.

________________________

^{1 This is an average figure based on data provided by a number of Nepali NGOs working in the area of GBV. The percentage figure ranged from 5 percent (SAATHI) to 40 percent (Central Women's Committee for Legal Aid - a Government of Nepal project supported bu UNDP).}

^{2  State of the World Population, UNFPA, 2002}

^{3. UNICEF, Press Release, 13.02.2003}

^{4.  Data from Egypt indicates that 29 percent of adolescents have been beaten by their husbands with 41 percent being beaten during pregnancy. A study in Jordon found that 26 percent of reported cases of domestic violence were carried out against wives under 18. (UNICEF: February 2003).}

__________________________

Country data on GBV

Bangladesh

• A 1989 UN study conducted in Matlab, Bangladesh, showed that 18 percent of women had experienced violence during pregnancy, pregnant women aged 15-19 or those who have recently given birth, were nearly three times more likely to die from violence inflicted as compared to women of the same age group who were not pregnant. Pregnancy was identified as a key trigger for domestic violence (UN Commission on the Status of Women, 1989).
• A second study of VAW over 1990-1997, revealed a consistant pattern of significant increase in a number of categories of violence ranging from homicide to trafficking. The table below shows, for example, that there was an almost six fold increase in the number of acid attacks on women over the seven year period and over 500 percent increase in the number of rapes over the same period.

IDENTIFIED VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN   1990-1997

Source: Multi-Sectoral Program on Violece against Women, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. 

• Another study (1994-2000) recorded 1,31,709 cases filed by women victims. Of these, 20243 cases related to rape, 868 acid burn cases, 7516 dowry related violence, 16, 803 related to suicide. 11, 978 as a result pf physical assault and 10, 726 related to trafficking (Cenn for Prevention of Violence against Women, Department of Women Affairs, Government of Bangladesh 2000).

Nepal

• It is estimated that on average, violence during pregnancy accounts for up to 15 percent of all GBV cases in the country.
• A research conducted in kakwanpur district shows that 73 percent of higher caste women prefer son to daughters (Rana R.L. The Socio-economic aspects of family planning in rural Nepal, MA thesis 1999).
• In Sarlahi, the notion of witch-craft is common and on the increase. In 2003-2004 over a 9 month period, a number of national dailies carried stories of witch-blaming cases in the district.
• Dowry related violence is common in areas near the borders with Northern India, for example, in the project areas of Dhanusha and in Sarlahi, but these type of GBV is largely unreported.
• A study conducted by SAATHI in collaboration with The Asia Foundation found that:
  • 9 0ut of 10 women have suffered mental/physical violence
  • 8 out of 10 women are being beaten up every day
  • 3 out of 10 have suffered forced prostitution, were victims of rape, have been sexually harassed and have suffered forced abortion.

(SAATHI, A Situation Analysis of Violence against Women and Girls in Nepal, 1997).

• A government survey revealed that, on average,
  • Over 40 percent men thought one of the following reasons was a justification for beating their wife: burning food, answering back, goung out without telling him, neglecting the children, refusing to have sex.
  • 5 percent of 35-39 year old men think simply burning food is good enough reason to beat his wife.
  • Moreover, 5 percent of women think that men are justified to hit them for this same reason.

(Demographic Survey, Ministry of Health, Government of Nepal, 2001).