According to the Violence Against Women Survey 2024, conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and UNFPA Bangladesh, 75.7 percent of women in the country have experienced violence by their spouse or husband at least once in their lives.
The findings, released on Monday at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Dhaka, show that women have been subjected to physical, sexual, psychological, economic violence, and controlling behavior. The overall rate of such violence has decreased by about 17 percent compared to 2015.
The survey found that 47.3 percent of women experienced physical violence, 29 percent sexual violence, 37.4 percent psychological violence, 67.6 percent controlling behavior, and 19.6 percent economic violence. In the past year alone, 49 percent of women were victims of such violence.
The report noted that 29.4 percent of women who experienced physical violence said it happened repeatedly. Around 26 percent of women reported being forced into sex by their husbands, and 7.3 percent experienced physical or sexual violence during pregnancy.
The survey also showed that higher education reduces the risk of violence against women by up to 59 percent, and having an educated husband reduces it by 32 percent. Women with disabilities were 50 percent more likely to face violence from non-spousal perpetrators, while women in slum areas were 47 percent more likely to face violence from their husbands.
Regionally, the rate of spousal violence was highest in Barisal (82%) and Khulna (81%), and lowest in Sylhet (73%) and Dhaka (73%).
The report highlighted that two out of every three women who experience violence never disclose or seek help, indicating a low rate of service use or legal action among survivors.
Bangladesh Feminist Archives 