Rage against Rape

Feminists Across Generations is a coalition of organisations, including Kotha, Naripokkho, SheDecides Bangladesh, Right Here Right Now - Youth SRHR, Bonhishikha, and Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust - BLAST, working closely against gender-based violence.

Additionally, Oroddho Foundation and Swayong also played a major role in building a network of feminists that came together for an intergenerational fight against the growing incidents of rape, sexual harassment and violence against women. They came together to express their solidarity to the victims yesterday at the gathering, 'Rage against Rape'  in front of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. "When we were strategising about this movement, we knew it had to be broad enough in scope so that when the movement ends, violence ends," said Umama Zillur, founder, Kotha, and one of the key organisers.

The protesters addressed not only individual cases of violence but also the rape culture that breeds and persists in our society. "This is Bangladeshi women's liberation movement. We do not want to be protected anymore. We want to be free and live in an equal society," shared Noorin Suhaila Asjad, CEO, Oroddho Foundation and one of the organisers. They further plan to use the protest to empower feminist organisations.

The organisers initially conducted virtual meetings to interact with prominent youth leaders and collect their inputs on what demands should be placed forward. These demands were then drafted with the help of experts, activists and lawyers working in the field of gender justice. The protesters demanded an end to all gender-based violence by private and state actors and zero tolerance for victim blaming.

They asked families to hold their boys and men accountable for the violence they perpetrated and demanded that rapists are no longer sheltered. They want their right to occupy public spaces without fear of violence, at any time and for any purpose. They demanded a rejection of  the idea that women's bodies hold their and their family's honour and wanted comprehensive sex education, to be made mandatory in all schools. They asked for swift action against all those weaponising cyber tools to commit violence against women and want the existing rape laws to be reformed so that it recognises and criminalises marital rape, irrespective of the age of the victim who is raped by their spouse.

"A lot of times, especially in women's movements, we tend to see men come and just take up space without considering their privilege," shared Tassafy Hossain, a protester. "I was glad to see young men chanting our slogans and fighting for equal rights. I also hope to see more of these men in different parts of the movement, not just to come and participate, but also to take the time to listen, to hear what everyone talks about, to be able to empathise and recognise different experiences."

The protests also had the support of Deshi Ballers, an organisation working for the development of women's sports. Ashreen Mridha, founder of the organisation, joined the discussion as an activist, working on root causes of gender discrimination and inequality. "I put forward my views on demand 5, which is women's right to occupy all public spaces without fear of violence.

Deshi Ballers also helped mobilise female athletes and bring them to the streets for the protest," added Mridha. As far as the changes are concerned, she feels that bystander intervention is crucial and demands for the proper utilisation of existing resources to prevent violence against women.

Talking of personal experiences, Swatil Mahmud, founder, Swayong and one of the active members of Feminists Across Generations, gave a heartfelt speech where she shared her own story of sexual abuse as a child. This moved spectators to tears and invited other storytellers to come forward and join in. They also performed the flash mob on 'The Rapist Is You.'

"Being with strong women fighting for our basic human rights is extremely empowering. Even though freedom seems a long way ahead, the protest felt like the first step towards something right," added Khondoker Zarin, a protester.

These protests are the beginning of a larger revolution that demands for the freedom of women in all spheres of life.