Religious Patriarchal Values Obstruct Bangladeshi Rural Women’s Human Rights

Religious Patriarchal Values Obstruct Bangladeshi Rural Women’s Human Rights Dr. KaziAbdurRouf Visiting Scholar Leadership, Higher and Adult education (LHAE) OISE and Assistant Professor Nobel International University, USA 2012-2013 Religion and Public Life Conference Wilfrid Laurier University Waterloo, Ontario, Canada March 01, 2013.

Overview of women status in Bangladesh Bangladesh is a highly patriarchal Muslim dominated society Men make household decisions and have property rights “Denial of women’s autonomy is everywhere in Bangladesh” (Kabeer 1983:8).

Thesis statement This paper argues British colonization, gendered division of labor; Patriarchy and religious customary laws and values have denied women access to Equal rights; Property rights and; Other financial resources.

Statistics- women portfolio Bangladesh has 160.4 million people within a 147, 570 square kilometer Half of the population is female; women hold up half the sky Density of the population is 763 per square kilometer Adult female literacy rate (43%) is much lower than the national average (86%) Individual’s per capita income is $370 Asian women have only 1% of the wealth in the world, they do 66% of the work that is needed for human survival (Wong, 2002 : 47) 30% of the total population has access to basic health services; women cases lesser 76% of all households are deficient in calorie intake 50% of women live under the poverty line.

Table 1. Male and female literacy rate in Bangladesh Source: UNDP: Human Development Report (HDR) 2002.

Table 2. Number of Women in Ministers in Bangladesh during different Political Regimes Source: Mahtab, Nazimunnessa (2007). Women in Bangladesh from inequality to Empowerment, Dhaka: A. H. Publishing House, p. 58 and Diary 2009, Bangladesh Parliament.

Table 3. Women and National Election Source: Unnayanpoddokhep (2009).

Table 4. Selected Candidates for the Civil Services in different BCS Examinations by Gender Source: Annual report-2003, 2008, Bangladesh Public Service Commission, Dhaka: Government of People’s Republic Bangladesh, 2009. P. 65.

British Regime and its discrimination to women Before the British colonized India, it was a self-sufficient village community-a land-based agriculture Fostered an egalitarian status for women in the family Self-sufficient agricultural village collective culture and economy was destroyed by the British capitalist colonialism from 1750 Colonizers introduced the male dominant nuclear family norm Private lands ownership system promotes individuality, and hierarchy in families Created a new male class called Zamindars, revenue collectors The Permanent Land Settlement Act by British in India in 1773 robbed women land ownership British created the new petty bourgeoisies as the ruling class State experiences hegemonic crisis and political instability Produced misery in the society Created unequal inheritance laws for women

Gender Division Work Women contribute the majority of agricultural activities This new land tenure system forced farmers into cash crop production and commercialized agriculture Women were left out from land ownership and the new system of agriculture Loss assets and status in the society; women have left with no rights and no power in the society Men work outside, earn money and provide financial support to the family Women are responsible for domestic obligations Men are the breadwinners and women are the homemakers Women have taken these socially prescribed roles for granted Women domestic work is stereotyped as “women’s work”- not valued Involved in unpaid family subsistence agricultural work Women have internalized the existing societal values of men’s instrumental, advantage of men. Confines women at home with unpaid domestic chores Gender division of labor exploits women

Pardah Pardah dominates women. Dichotomy of public and private realm in Islam underpin gender subordination, and dependence Women breaking pardah are seen as an outsider or deviant. Kinship arrangements in Bangladesh are rigidly patrilineal Names of sons and grandsons are listed in the traditional family genogram.

Religious laws (Hindus and Muslim laws) Islamic Sharia law and Hindu law encourages male dominated patriarchy Religious laws (Muslim and Hindus) discriminate women’s property laws Islam and Hinduism have discriminatory inheritance laws against women Muslim traditional cultures and laws dominate people lives One MP warned a feminist in 1994 to “never try to touch the Hindu Law in the name of women’s welfare; otherwise blood will be flooding the floor of parliament”.

Religious laws (Hindus and Muslim laws)-continue-2 Women Lawyers and Bangladesh Human Rights Council challenge the male dominated customary law on property rights Shura(high level religious leaders) and Islamic organization united together to maintain Islamic Family Law These laws and cultures place men in control of women’s labor, choice of marriage, access to resources, and legal rights

Muslim Sharia Laws In Islam, a widow can only own 12.5% of her husband’s property under Sharia Law. In practice widows cannot even own this property due to village politics of Fatawa and customary laws Muslim laws often contradict legal laws and impede the application of justice for women Most widows give up their claims to property because fear of violence and anger The media is totally silent in these affairs.

Table-5. Media reports Violence against Women: 1997-2003 Years Incidents Murders/Torture Fatawa(Mollas Case filed /acid throwing/rape unethical monopoly decisions 1997 177 109 10928 1998 239 145 96 26 1999 253 193 152 31 2000 181 165 - 34 2001 186 177 - 32 2002 358 262 - 46 2003 374 249 - 46 * Note: represents data not available.

Maharand Dowry demand Muslim marriage laws protect women partially through the custom of Mahar and dowry Maharis money, property, jewelry or clothing that is to be given to the bride upon divorce) But not written these conditions in the marriage registration, KabinNama Practice of Mahar now has been replaced by dowry in Bangladesh Dowry is a demand for wealth by the groom’s family for the bride Dowry exploits, victimized and discriminates women’s equal rights to wealth Dowry related violence is common in Bangladesh.

Table-6. Court Filed Dowry Cases and Status of Decisions on Them in 2000 Status Dowry Physical Violence Complaints filed 873 143 Disposed599 97 Pending274 46 (Source: Ain O Shalishi Kendra 2000)

Customary laws dominated by religious elites Customary laws dominate rural women, governed by the rural religious male elites Some reform has been made in property rights, but in practice still do not have property in their names Mullahs and other customary values prevent women from working outside the home Promotes a dichotomy of private and public realm Barrier to women’s participation in economic activity outside home Many feminists talk about women’s equality Feminists have challenged the “Muslim Family Property Laws Ordinance 1961.” Raised the question of male bias in village council.

Women access to property rights Women equal access to property rights would help them to be economically, socially and politically empowered Such empowerment would facilitate women leaving abusive, violent and male dominated environments, and overcoming poverty The Constitution of Bangladesh appears to strongly approve gender equality Still a big gap between the law and its actual implementation.

Income generating programs for women economic and social liberation Grameen Bank (GB) Sixteen Decisions- a combination of socio-economic and environmental messages campaigns for women liberation in Bangladesh GB credit creates opportunities for poor women in Bangladesh to find from male dependence It provides distressed women with education, life skills training, credit, and other support services for income generating purposes Grameen Housing Loan Program introduced a policy that house loans could only disburse to those female borrowers who have house land in their own name Through GB, 3.6 million Bangladeshi rural women are able to have land in their own name Still 18% of women saw a rise in verbal aggression after they received loans from their husbands.

New steps In recent years government and NGOs initiated to improve the status of women by providing free education up to class V111. MohilaSamilty (women cooperative), BRAC, BRDB and Proshika run various programs to help women to achieve self-reliance However, their initiatives are confronting the customary religious Muslim and Hindu laws and traditional rural values Civil society organizations can initiate gender equality action program in collaboration with state law enforcing agencies to fight for women’s equal rights in Bangladesh

Thank you Comments/Questions

Religious Patriarchal Values Obstruct Bangladeshi Rural Women’s Human Rights