In Bangladesh, the number of young women taking their own lives to avoid harassment has prompted the education ministry to declare tomorrow (Sunday, June 13) “Eve Teasing Protection Day.”
“Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said female students and female teachers are at present not safe on streets or in schools.
‘That is no exaggeration. In some places, schools have been shut down and exams delayed because of the problems caused by Eve teasing stalkers.
“Those who are teased do not like to go to school and sometimes guardians do not allow them to go to school for their safety and honour. So the drop-out rate of female students in many schools is increasing,’ Mr Nahid said.
‘Another negative manifestation of the problem is the tendency of parents to push underage daughters into early marriages so that they can escape Eve teasing. Parents think that if their daughter has a husband, they will be saved from the dangers.
‘It has become a vicious cycle.”
To learn more, you can read a BBC article about the problem of suicides and harassment in Bangladesh. Here’s info on eve teasing and you can read about the problem in India via Blank Noise. I’m in a hurry and couldn’t quickly find info about what actually is happening tomorrow for this day, so please share in the comments if you come across anything.
[…] The article also notes something I was unaware of – the Bangladeshi government is led by several women and it is because of them that the government declared last Sunday Eve Teasing Protection Day. […]