Israt Jahan: From the beginning of creation to the present time, women have contributed in one way or another to everything that has happened in this world. Considering any aspect, the strict position of men, as well as women, can be noticed. Women! it is not just a word but it has thousands of meanings and millions of feelings. This woman is a word that hides thousands of sorrows. Women are a piece of self-confidence to give up thousands of dreams and fight against the current. Thousands of questions are raised about the position of women in the present social system. The question also arises as to whether every woman can enjoy the same rights as a woman. Every woman is getting the dignity she deserves! This woman, who has given up her hobbies, pleasures, and desires, is somehow neglected. In a word, the word `woman` is largely ignored in today`s society. These four forms of mother, sister, wife, and daughter exist. After birth, daughter and sister, then wife, then mother, thus the relationship changes with time. As relationships change, women fall into the trap of thousands of rules and regulations. One of the most talked-about issues of the last few decades is women`s rights. But the definition or scope of this right is still unclear. Attempts are still being made to compare women`s empowerment with men`s. There is no assessment of how accurate this comparison is.

Bangladeshi women have been fighting for social status for many years. In the pre-1971 period, the term success only applied to men and not to women. In those days, it was considered equivalent for women to work outside the home and to have the moon in their hands. After 1971, the women of Bangladesh have achieved great success. Over the past four decades since the war, new laws have been enacted to increase women`s political empowerment, improve employment prospects, improve education, and protect women`s rights. At present, women are concentrating on housework as well as outside work. If we consider each field separately, we will see that the position of women in each case is the same. There was a time when it was very difficult for girls to cross the school boundaries but now the position of girls at every level of secondary and higher secondary is noticeable. At every level of education, girls have made a good position for themselves. There was a time when going out of the house and standing in front of a workplace was considered a luxury for girls. Very few girls could work outside the home, but she had to overcome many obstacles. But now the position of women at every level of the work field shows that women are no less than men. There is a position of women in every level of society at present. But despite so much success, the term inequality still exists. There are many laws and policies in Bangladesh to implement women`s rights. But due to low implementation of laws, women are victims of dowry, domestic violence, acid-terrorism, discrimination in the workplace, and deprivation of property. Several lakh cases are pending against women and children in courts, family courts, and criminal courts. Women are being deprived of their fair rights as these cases have not been settled year after year. Women`s empowerment has not increased at the grassroots level. Although women have come forward in the field of education, women are still lagging far behind in the field of higher education.

There is an independent civic organization called `Equal Majors-2030` whose job is to conduct surveys on gender equality in different countries. In 2016, the organization surveyed to find out what policymakers in India, Indonesia, Colombia, Senegal, and Kenya think about gender equality. This survey reveals the positional differences between women and men policymakers in women`s empowerment. The survey found that, like most men, the principles that have been set for women`s empowerment and the rights that have been granted to women have made significant progress in this area. But the women disagreed with the men, saying their destination was still far away. At present, women`s participation in policy-making is only one-fourth that of men. Women are far behind. After the survey of these five countries, all the aspects that have come up in the survey are consistent with Bangladesh. This is a reflection of the position of women in the social system of Bangladesh. Even though the government of Bangladesh has given enough respect and opportunities to women in every field, women are still lagging compared to men. Women are still discriminated against in every sphere of society.

The number and type of violence against women are increasing day by day. According to the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, in 2020, there were a total of 3440 cases of violence against women, including 1348 cases of rape of girls and women. The list of abuse of women and children in 2020 was compiled based on news published in 13 dailies preserved in the council`s legal aid sub-council. Of these, 1064 rapes, 237 gang rapes, and 33 rapes were followed by murders, and 3 rapes resulted in a total of 1346 women and girls being raped. In addition to the 200 attempted rapes, 64 victims of sexual harassment, including 43 victims of sexual harassment. 25 victims of acid burns. Of these, 4 died due to acid burns. Besides, 29 people were burnt, of which 13 died. On the other hand, 59 people were harassed. A total of 125 kidnappings took place. 101 victims of trafficking, out of which 4 have been sold in brothels. 47 women and children were killed for various reasons. In addition, 35 people were killed in the assassination attempt. 116 people were tortured due to dowry, out of which 52 were killed, 159 victims of physical abuse. Besides, 164 people were tortured in various ways. Mysterious deaths of 252 women and girls. There were 116 incidents related to child marriage. Besides, 43 women were victims of cybercrime. From these statistics, it is understood that there are signs of atrocities against women in every sphere of society and state. The socialists are condemning these helpless, abused women and children as dishonest or bad in society. On the other hand, rapists or torturers are going out through the loopholes of the law. Many women suffer physical and mental punishment without guilt, including refusing love, refusing to agree to a bad proposal, and brutally killing their husbands for not allowing them to marry.

`The sword of the victorious man has never been alone, it has given inspiration, it has given strength to the victory-lucky woman.`  -It is not only a part of Nazrul`s poem `Nari` but there are thousands of proofs of truth hidden in it. The contribution of men in the war of liberation in 1971 was as much as the contribution of women. The contribution of women has not been less in the amount of progress that has been made in Bangladesh in the long 50 years since the war. But women do not have to be subjected to lesser humiliation step by step. Every woman has to endure thousands of humiliations in return for her contribution to the formation of a society. Yet in many societies, women are considered a commodity. Every day when you look in the media, you can see that some women are being killed and tortured for dowry. There was a time when the word rape was rarely heard. But now it seems to be the norm to have a few rapes every day, from young children to the elderly. Many women are also deprived of their adequate rights. When a feminist raises any voice for the oppression of women and for all women to enjoy their due rights, patriarchal society tries to stop it. Many men think that if every woman in society raises her voice with feminists, they will lose their authority. It is nothing more than a thought to them. Women have the same rights as every man living in society. The government must ensure that every woman enjoys her due rights without hindrance.

Napoleon said, `Give me an educated mother, I will give an educated nation.` In other words, teaching a man means teaching a man. And educating a woman means educating an entire family. The main spirit of the liberation war was the formation of a non-discriminatory society. The negative representation of women in the media should be stopped. Women are not a product. Therefore, proper implementation of the law must be ensured. Women`s education and freedom of expression should be given. Women should be given due recognition for their work. Women`s work should not be underestimated. In women`s empowerment, women must come first. Empowerment is impossible without self-awareness, self-development. Therefore, women must strive for all rights.

After so many social evolutions, theoretical analyzes, and the evolution of time, and in modern society, we have not yet been able to be emotionally communicative. Society will not become a communist just by showing a symbolic attitude that the contribution of men and women is equal in the society. Building an enlightened world is possible only when both men and women create a mentality that complements each other.

Author: Israt Jahan is a Columnist & student of Department of English at Chittagong College.