Acknowledgement

It is a wonderful feeling that I have completed my research document & researched the topic well. I have received guidance from the experts & taken the help from various people around me. I feel extreme pleasure to express my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to Prof. Dr. Deena P. Forkan department of English of North South University (NSU), my supervisor whose valuable suggestions, guidance and immediate comments on the scripts helped me much at the various stages in writing my research paper in time. My sincere thanks are also to the women who have provided me information about their real life experiences. I am indebted to the different authors listed in the reference thought and experiences advanced me in writing this research paper. Any sorts of suggestion & recommendations would be highly appreciated to enrichment of this research paper.

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Abstract

This paper reports finding from a study carried out in urban area of Bangladesh during December 2009. Thirty key informants were interviewed for collecting data on domestic violence against housewives & how it is forcing them to commit suicide. Each key informant provided various kinds of information regarding the topic. The questionnaire included information about the reasons for which women are being tortured, the role of the society regarding this problem, the age group which is mostly committing suicide & other relevant information including background characteristics of the women & their husbands. The paper is targeting to provide information on how the women are being tortured & why they are committing suicide finding no other ways.

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Table of Content
1. Introduction ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 2. Background ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2 3. Areas of research ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3 4. Hypothesis --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 5. Methodology ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
6. Primary Data Presentation & Analysis ---------------------------------------------------------- 6 7. Secondary Data presentation & Analysis ------------------------------------------------------ 18 8. Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21

9. Conclusion -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 10. Reference List ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23

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Introduction
Domestic violence, once considered one of the most underreported crimes, became more widely recognized during the 1980s and 1990s.Domestic violence involving married or cohabiting couples received vast media attention during the 1990s. Awareness, perception and documentation of domestic violence differ from country to country, and from era to era. The purpose of this research paper named Domestic violence forcing people to commit suicide is to show the real scenario of domestic violence in Bangladesh. Mens violence towards women is a serious social problem. My focus is to present the role of each has evolved as domestic violence has been brought more into public view. This research paper will make you think what we are doing and how brutally our society is behaving with women. It will actually raise some questions against humanity and the system of our society. Those people who r unaware from this cruel crime will at least think once about it. The contents included in this paper will make people aware of domestic violence. According to the study, victims of domestic violence very often become confused, lose confidence or interest in work and sometimes even attempt to commit suicide. My research paper will may help to let people know how to come over from this problem. Especially it is going to raise some thought provoking questions and to find out the answers people will definitely going study on this severe problem. That may change the conservative view of people towards women.

Background

The most common form of violence against women is domestic violence & it is seemed mostly in developing countries. Women commit suicide because they are victims of domestic violence. Countless women (especially in the developing world), are being pressured or forced to commit these and other acts which are intrinsically and gravely immoral. Many women endure the abuse because it is often very difficult to get a woman who is being victimized to act in order to stop the abuse. In the case of psychological abuse, unfortunately many times women themselves willingly and/or silently remain in this situation. Although victims of domestic violence have for the most part suffered quietly for many years and thus have not received the help they needed, today's society has finally recognized that this is a terrible evil which needs to be denounced and eradicated. A strong crusade against domestic violence could be launched only when we try to implement the already-existing measures. Making more laws is not the only solution. Its only when we are sincere in our efforts at the grassroots level also, we can expect a change to happen. It is through a collective determination to support womens rights not only outside but also inside the hitherto restricted boundary of home, that we can attain the objective of destroying the well-embedded thorns of domestic violence from our society.

Areas of research

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1. The main reasons behind domestic violence: There are many reasons for which women are being tortured in our society. Among them one of the main reasons is dowry. Husbands force their wives to bring money from their paternal house & if they are unable they face domestic abuse by their husbands. Too much difference between husband & wife is another big reason for domestic violence. If the husband is two time older than the wife then he has some superiority complex & treat his wife as inferior which results in physical & mental abuse .Uneducated women are mostly being tortured compared to educated women as the husbands think that they are helpless & cannot do anything against their will. So illiteracy is one of the key reasons for domestic violence. 2. How it is forcing the housewives to commit suicide: In our country most of the people think that women should only remain at home, rear up children & should do other household chores. They dont have the right to see the outside world. So most of the women are unaware of the rights they have & how they can get their rights properly. Our society doesnt allow them to be self dependent & to have confidence on themselves. So when they face domestic violence they choose the simplest way ahead of them & that is committing suicide. They think that it is the easiest way to escape as they dont know where to go for proper justice because of their ignorance. 3. How it is affecting our society: The Social effects of domestic violence are overwhelming. The cost to society can never be completely calculated. The monetary costs include medical treatment, law enforcement, criminal justice enforcement, legal assistance, financial aid, food assistance, and homeless services. The cost of the loss of even one human life, to society, may never be known. It has a huge impact on the children. Children who witness violence at home display emotional and behavioral disturbances as diverse as withdrawal, low self-esteem, nightmares, self-blame and aggression against peers, family members and property. It affects the kids when they grow up. If they

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are not taught other ways then violence in resolving the issues at hand in life, they will also use violence to resolve issues as well in their lives.

Hypothesis

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Suicide because of domestic violence is one of the major problems in our society but nobody is concerned about it. When any major incident happens it is published in the newspaper. Only that time people get to know about it & discuss it. But it is a very serious offense & I want to disclose the real scenario in my research.

Methodology

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I have collected information from different articles from newspapers, magazines & mostly from internet. I have read various books written on this topic. I have also collected different statistics from internet. I have collected all the data in tow methods. a) Primary data collection b) Secondary data collection Primary Data Presentation and analysis (Table of graph): Data is collected from various people around me by filling up a specified questionnaire. Question Number 1. Option A 17 Option B 4 Option C 6 Option D 3

2.

20

3.

11

4.

18

N/A

5.

19

6.

12

7.

13

17

N/A

N/A

8.

12

9.

13

10.

18

N/A

I have created pie graphs for each question getting information from this table & analyzed all the graphs.

1. For which reason do you think women are being tortured by their husbands? a. Dowry

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b. Age difference c. Illiteracy d. Minority status

Opinions
10%

20% A -17 B -4 C- 6 57% 13% D -3

In the above graph we can see 57% people think that dowry is the main reason for womens being tortured by their husbands, and the next high profile reason for which womens are being tortured is illiteracy and its 20%. Age difference and minority status is also responsible for women being tortured by their husbands and peoples opinion regarding those two facts are 13% and 10% respectively.

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2. Do you think uneducated women are mostly being tortured compared to educated women?

a. Yes, because they are helpless b. May be c. Both are tortured d. No, I don't think so

Opinions
3% 23% A -20 B -2 C -7 7% 67% D -1

Illiteracy is a common fact in our country regarding domestic violence and the worst sufferer of this fact are women, as we can see from the above graph 67% people think that uneducated women are mostly being tortured compared to educated women. But some people think that both educated and

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uneducated women are being tortured and the percentage is 23%. Another 10% people are divided between other two options. 3. What do think why most of the women don't take any initiative rather than committing suicide? a. Unawareness b. Lack of confidence c. Lack of self dependency d. They think it is the most easiest way to escape

Opinions
37% 20% A -6 B -9 C -4 D -11 13%

30%

Suicide is a common instinct among frustrated people specially house wives those who are being tortured or abused by their husbands. From the above graph it is evident that women choose suicide

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as it is the easiest way to escape as 37% people think that. 30% people think that lack of confidence is also another big concern. Unawareness and lack of self dependency are other two reasons for which women dont take any initiative rather than committing suicide and the percentage are 20% & 13% respectively.

4. Do you think husbands are being influenced by any other family member to torture their wives?

a. Yes, sometimes they are influenced b. May be c. No, I don't think so

Opinions
23%

A -18 B -7 60% 17% 0% C -5

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In our society women are being tortured mainly by their in-laws. Sometimes husbands are influenced by the other family members & that shows in the above pie graph as 60% people think that. The other 40% are divided in their opinion as 23% & 17 % respectively.

5. Do you think our society plays a role forcing the housewives to commit suicide? a. Yes, our society plays a vital role b. No, I don't think so c. May be d. Sometimes our society indirectly plays a role

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Opinions
23%

0%

A -7 B -0 C -4 D -19

64%

13%

60% of the people think that our society plays an indirect role forcing the housewives to commit suicide. It indicates that the majority of the people think like this.23% of the people opine that our society plays a vital role in this regard. The most interesting thing is nobody thinks that our society doesnt play a role forcing the housewives to commit suicide.13% of the people think that maybe our society plays a role. 6. What do you think in which class of the society domestic violence happens most? a. Upper class b. Middle class c. Lower middle class d. Lower class

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Opinions
30%

A -2 40% 7% B -7 C -12 D -9 23%

Our society is divided into four classes. Upper class, middle class, lower middle class & lower class. More or less domestic violence happens in every class of our society. The graph above shows that 40% of the people think domestic violence happens mostly in the lower middle class of the society. Another 30% think that lower class society is also the place where domestic violence occurs.23% of the people opine that domestic violence happens in middle class society also. There are some people who also think that in the upper class of the society domestic violence happens & their percentage is 7%.

7. Have you ever witnessed any kind situation where domestic violence is occurring?

a. Yes, I have witnessed b. No, I haven't

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Opinions
0%

43% 57%

A -13 B -17

Domestic violence is occurring everywhere now-a-days. In our society more or less a large number of people have witnessed some kind of domestic violence. The above graph shows that 57% of the people havent witnessed any kind of domestic violence. But 43% have witnessed some kind of domestic violence in their life.

8. Do you think by enforcing law we can stop domestic violence? a. Yes, Law enforcing agencies can play a vital role here b. No, only awareness can reduce this problem

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c. May be d. Who can stop anything by enforcing law in our country!

Opinions
17% 23% A -6 B -12 C -5 40% 20% D -7

In our country law enforcing agencies are aware of this problem but they cant take any kind of initiatives because of lack of peoples awareness as we can see that 40% people voted their opinion regarding awareness. Another school of 23% people also think that by enforcing law we cant do anything in our country. But 20% people think that by enforcing law we can get some vital feedback and stop this sort of violence and 17% people are confused about their opinion.

9. What do you think which age group has more tendency to commit suicide?

a. 15-20
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b. 21-25 c. 26-30 d. 30-50

Opinions
7% 20% 30% A -9 B -13 C -6 D -2 43%

Suicide is a common phenomenon in our society especially among the younger generation and the above graph also shows 43% people think that the age group between 21-25 is in the most vulnerable position and the next threatening age group is between 15-20 and their percentage is 30%. People think that age group between 26-30 and 30-50 have 20% and 7% suicide tendency respectively as they are matured enough.

10. Do you think by giving the victims legal support one can reduce the rate of suicide?

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a. Yes, It is a good idea b. No, It won't make any difference c. May be

Providing legal support to the victims is a common practice in the developed country, but in a developing country like ours most of the people dont get any sort of legal support. But by getting some legal support could have helped a lot to reduce this suicide problem and our survey graph also shows that as 60% people voted their opinion that its a good idea. 23%people think that it wont make any kind of difference and other 17% is confused about their opinion.

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Secondary Data analysis

Violence against women remains a prevailing social problem in contemporary Bangladesh. Brutal attacks on women have become commonplace and widespread across the country. Daily news reports are filled with atrocities including physical and psychological torture, sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape, dowry related violence, trafficking, forced prostitution, coerced suicide and murder. The rate of reported violent acts against women has risen consistently and at an alarming rate, especially since the early 1990s. The following data has been taken from 22 police stations in the capital city over the last three years.

Considering that violence against women remains one of the most under reported crimes in Bangladesh it is implicit that the reported figures are a gross underestimate. Therefore, whilst statistical data is incomplete there is a consensus that the general trend overwhelmingly suggests that women in Bangladesh are at increasing risk of being victimized. Several factors have contributed to this situation. First, as has been mentioned earlier, patriarchal attitudes are deeply entrenched in society. Traditionally men have been in a dominant position and women in a submissive one. This is perceived not only traditional but also natural. Furthermore, there is a tendency, particularly in village areas, to legitimize the patriarchal attitudes on the basis of tradition and orthodox religion. Secondly,

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various community leaders actively oppose womens rights in order to maintain their own power positions within the community. Local leaders try to enforce age-old patriarchal traditions and discourage women's empowerment. Furthermore, they often remain silent and fail to protest against violent acts against women, sometimes blaming the victims for the crimes. In this way, they legitimize violation of women who assert rights outside their traditional roles. Thirdly, although many laws are in place to protect women, enforcement of these laws is lax and ineffective. Without proper law enforcement and court procedures, laws are virtually useless. The general public is well aware that law enforcement agencies often accepts bribes, ignores serious complaints, destroys or loses evidence, and frees criminals. In addition, the judicial system has several structural and procedural barriers. Political affiliations and motivations often affect court decisions. The lack of separation of the judiciary has resulted in a compromise of impartial justice in Bangladesh. As a result of the lax law enforcement, the general public has diminished trust and confidence in the system. On the other hand, criminals recognize that there are loopholes in the system, and they might easily avoid punishment. Finally, the community has become desensitized to the sufferings of others. Community members, having a host of problems themselves, fearing retaliation by Gangsters and hoodlums, and perhaps aware of the lax law enforcement; they fail to take a proactive role to end violence against women Many other factors have also contributed to the current situation of women in Bangladesh and the alarming increase in the rate of violent acts against women. The factors are interrelated and the problem is very complicated. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix to the current problem of violence against women. It has become increasingly evident that laws and policies alone will be ineffective, rather collaborative multifaceted efforts are required to address this serious social problem.

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Major trends in violence In light of the above discussion the most common manifestations of violence in Bangladesh are detailed below. Available data from the Police Department give some indication of the extent of these types of violence. This data indicates that in 2004 there were 3081 crimes for dowry, 3083 women were raped, and 198 women were injured from acid attack. The most significant part of this data is only one seventh (5584) of the total (34061) number of accused were arrested.

Domestic violence, or violence perpetuated in the home or family environment, is a major social problem in Bangladesh. Domestic violence incidences are fairly common and widespread across the country. Women of all economic strata are vulnerable to maltreatment and abuse by husbands, inlaws, and other family members. Available data suggests that the number of cases of domestic violence is increasingly being reported in the newspaper.

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Limitations

Because of time limitations the research paper is done based on reading materials. I couldnt take interviews because of time limitation and most of the people were not available. I couldnt manage some books to collect information from those books. The research paper could have been done in a better way if I could get extra time. Within this short time of period I could manage information that is given in the paper. Basic materials and main categories are collected from journals, articles and internet.

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Conclusion
Physical and sexual assaults, or threats to commit them, are the most apparent forms of domestic violence and are usually the actions that allow others to become aware of the problem. However, regular use of the other abusive behaviors by the batterer, when reinforced by one or more acts of physical violence, makes up a larger system of abuse. Although physical assaults may occur only once or occasionally, they instill threat of future violent attacks and allow the abuser to take control of the woman's life and circumstances. Women dont try to protest themselves because of the conservative society. Domestic violence may be associated with physical or social isolation (e.g., denying communication with friends or relatives, or making it so difficult that the victim stops attempting communication) and deprivation (e.g., abandonment in dangerous places, refusing help when sick or injured, prohibiting access to money or other basic necessities). If this situation continues women will lose their identity and wont be able to raise their voice in future, it is high time that we should be concerned about the violence and thus protect women from committing suicide.

Reference List

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1. Ameen, N. (2005). Wife Abuse in Bangladesh. An Unrecognized Offense. University Press Limited, Bangladesh. 2. Bhuiyan, A., Sharmin, T., Haninfi, S.M.A., (2003). Nature of domestic violence against women in Bangladesh: Implications for Preventive Interventions. Journals of Health Population Nutrition, 2003 Mar; 21(1):48-54. 3. . Government of Bnagladesh, (1999). Violence against Women, Dhaka: Government of Bangladesh. 4. Rahman, S., (2001). Reflections on Women and Violence in Bangladesh. Hurights Osaka FOCUS newsletter Asia-Pacific News. vol. 24. 5. Schuler, S.R., Hashemi, SM., Riley A.P., Akhter, S., (1996). Credit programs, patriarchy and mens violence against women in l Bangladesh. Social Science and Medicine, 43 (12): 1729-1742. 5. Zaman, Habiba (1999). Violence Against Women in Bangladesh: Issues and Responses. Women Studies International Forum, vol 22, no 1, pp: 37-48.

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