¶¶Òõ¾«Æ·

Complaints of economic violence against women are on the rise in the past four years, according to National Helpline Centre for Violence against Women and Children data.

The helpline centre, accessible by dialling 109, received in 2024 a total of 9,39,700 calls related to various forms of violence against women, including 4,60,358 calls involving economic violence.

It received 4,52,677 calls involving economic violence against women in 2023, 3,06,660 in 2022, and 2,68,291 in 2021. The figure was 4,79,851 in 2020.

The helpline centre, serving as a medium of connecting victims with relevant authorities, was established in June 2012 under the multi-sectoral programme on violence against women by the women and children affairs ministry to provide  necessary support and services to victims of violence, their relatives and other stakeholders.

The project director, Prakash Kanti Chowdhury, also joint secretary at the women and children affairs ministry, told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· on Monday, ‘Complaints of economic violence are rising as people are getting aware of the issue and better informed about the helpline.’

He said that the ministry, in collaboration with the World Bank, was working to develop a management information system on gender-based violence to provide the overall picture of each complaint.

The system is expected to be completed by the end of this year, he said.

Asked how many complaints have been fully addressed, Prakash said, ‘The helpline centre helps connect victims with the relevant authorities. Most of the cases involve legal issues, so we cannot completely solve the problems. However, we do follow up on cases that are sensitive.’

Fatema, a resident of Sirajganj district, reached out to the 109 helpline on August 27, 2024, seeking help. She shared that despite marrying five years ago, her husband had not been providing any maintenance for her or their child, while her in-laws subjected her to frequent mental torture.

The helpline connected Fatema with the upazila women’s affairs officer concerned, who took legal steps to address the issue. As a result, it was later reported that her husband had begun providing monthly maintenance for Fatema and their child.

‘Cases that deprive women of their economic rights are classified as economic violence. This includes situations where a husband refuses to provide rightful maintenance to his wife and children or when a family denies women or children their rightful claim to property,’ said Raisul Islam, in-charge and programme officer at the helpline centre.

Raisul said that the victims of economic violence often experienced other forms of abuses, such as physical assault and mental torture.

However, he noted, ‘We categorise the type of violence based on which form is most severe for the victim. Economic violence is generally non-physical.’

Women face such violence for various reasons, including their lack of control over money, as male figures like fathers, brothers, or husbands typically manage it, even when women earn, hindering their ability to be economically independent, said Supreme Court lawyer Alena Khan.

‘Also, the mentality of depriving women of their legal rights to property is another reason for which women face such violence,’ said the human rights activist.

Asked why complaints of economic violence against women has risen despite their increasing participation in education and the job market, Tania Haque, a professor of women and gender studies at the Dhaka University, said that women often entered the workforce in lower-ranking positions and had a high rate of quitting, which limited their ability to achieve substantial economic empowerment.

To reduce violence against women, she emphasised the importance of addressing core issues, including ensuring women’s property rights, addressing unpaid care work, improving skills and combating sexual violence.

In 2024, the helpline centre also received 61,595 complaints of physical assault, 38,547 complaints of mental torture, 898 complaints of sexual assault, 865 of child marriage, 21 of kidnapping, six of burn injuries, five of acid burns, and four of trafficking, along with 3,77,401 additional calls primarily seeking information on topics such as alimony, divorce proceedings and legal aid.