Group interaction helps cut marital violence: Study

Creating awareness and motivation through interactive group discussions among men and their counterparts [women and girls] can help reduce marital violence, said a study yesterday.

The study found that physical violence against married adolescent girls in the capital's slum areas reduced approximately by 21 percent after using the discussion method, which also helped women and girls raise their voice against violence.

Through discussions, women and girls were able to develop communication and negotiation skills, thereby they were able to solve many of their marital issues by discussing those with their husbands, the study observed.

The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) conducted the study on the capital's slum dwellers. The findings were presented at a seminar organised by icddr,b at its office in the capital.

The study titled, “Growing up Safe and Healthy (SAFE)” was implemented by five NGOs, including icddr,b, We Can, and BLAST, in 19 slums at Jatrabari, Mohakhali and Mohammadpur from March 2012 to October 2013.

Around 4,500 females aged between 15 and 29, and around 1,650 men aged between 18 and 35 were surveyed for the study.

Ruchira Tabassum Naved, a senior scientist at icddr,b, who led the study, said discussion helped men to be aware about the violence and at the same time women also became aware of their rights.

Speaking as the chief guest, Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, chairman of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), said women empowerment and behavioural change in men are needed to stop violence against women and girls.

The government has a policy to stop the violence, but it needs to put that in action, he said.

Dr Annie Vestjens, a secretary at the Dutch embassy in Dhaka; Iori Kato, acting representative of UNDP in Bangladesh; Anna Minj, a programme director at Brac; and Humaira Aziz, director (women and girls' empowerment) at CARE Bangladesh, also spoke.