Women do not find the cities safe and 97% of them feel that sexual harassment is a form of abuse. And 81% of women subject to such abuse are scared to approach the police for help. They feel this will only make matters worse.

These observations were made in survey on safety in cities conducted by non-government organisation ActionAid Bangladesh. The survey was led by two researchers of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDC). The survey report is being launched today.

According to the survey, women are most vulnerable to sexual harassment in public transport, on the streets, in markets and in shopping centres. Such harassment occurs more in the early hours of the morning, midday and in the evening. The risk in this regard is higher for women from deprived and poor families. Firstly, they are victims of such incidents. Secondly, they themselves are blamed for the incident.

The researchers say that society has accepted abuse of women in public places. The general perception is that the cause of sexual harassment is women's free movement and their manner of dressing..

Not all incidents of sexual harassment are revealed. Many women are unwilling to tell their families about such harassment. They often feel it meaningless to complain because either they are scared to do so or they know nothing will be done about it.

The researchers say that sexual harassment is unwanted sexual attention. This includes touching, pushing, coming close physically, expressing sexual desire, making sexual jokes, obscene looks, obscene gestures, obscene proposals, showing obscene pictures or reading obscene writings. Sexual harassment also includes defaming a woman's character, tarnishing her reputation, using words or actions that put her profession or work at risk. Rape is the most recognised form of sexual violence.

Harassment everywhere: Women respondents said they are subject to sexual harassment in almost all public places. The survey reveals that 85% of the women are victims of insulting remarks, 46% have faced obscene language with sexual implications, 48% have faced insulting language from bus drivers or fare collectors.

Women are subject to obscene remarks directed at them in markets and shopping centres, say 88% of the respondents. A total of 69% say that sales persons in shops also make obscene comments.

The study reveals that women are the most vulnerable to sexual harassment on the streets. Among the respondents, 85% of the women and 77% of the men say that women are more harassed on the streets and footpaths. Next comes bus terminals and railway stations. Half of the respondents mention markets and shopping centres and 40% mention parks and amusement centres as places where women face harassment. They say that harassment is highest in the early morning, afternoon and evenings.

Due to the negative image of the police, women are unwilling to approach the police even if they are publicly harassed. Eighty-one percent of the respondents say that they do not want police assistance. Of them 95% feel that telling the police makes matters worse. Instead of the perpetrator, the police blame the women (65%); the police take the matter lightly and so not take legal action against the offender (57%); the police may record the incident but take no further action (37%); complaints do not yield results (53%). And 28% of them are scared to go to the police or the police station. Twelve percent feel that there is a possibility of being harassed if they go to the police.

Inspector General of Police Hasan Mahmud Khandakar does not agree that women facing sexual abuse are unwilling to go to the police. He tells Prothom Alo that a large percentage of the cases filed every year pertain to oppression of women. The complaints are lodged by the women. If the police were not attentive to their complaints, then how are these cases being settled? Some police personnel are guilty of negligence of duty, but the number of such persons is not high. There are instances where legal action is taken when such complaints of negligence are received.

The women respondents in the survey say they take certain precautions to avoid sexual harassment or abuse. For example, 62% of the respondents say that they do not want to go out at night. They do not want to go out alone (60%), they avoid certain areas (47%), they avoid crowed areas and lonely areas (23% and 26% respectively). Of the respondents, 13% have stopped using public transport, 21% have stopped wearing brightly coloured clothing. And 3% of the women say that they carry weapons or tools for self-defence.

One-fourth of the women say they do not adopt any safety measures because they feel no measures come of any use. They simply accept this harassment and tolerate it as a part of life.

The survey asked if such harassment had a negative impact on women. Ninety percent of the women and 92% of the men said that sexual harassment had a negative impact on women's livelihood and was an obstacle to their well-being.

State Minister for Women and Children's Affairs Meher Afroze does not differ from the survey. However, she says that this does not mean that oppression of women has increased. She tells Prothom Alo, population has increased and so has the media. Before women victims of abuse wouldn't speak out, now they do. No incident remains concealed anymore.

Meher Afroze agrees that woman victims of abuse are reluctant to approach the police because they have to relate the matter to male policemen. This makes them extremely uneasy. She said that the members of the police administration much be trained to make the police stations woman-friendly.

Recommendations: The study says that there are a number of reasons behind sexual harassment or sexual abuse. These include the absence of any law pertaining to sexual harassment, the culture of blaming the victim, financial and social obstacles to the women seeking justice, complicated and lengthy legal process and lack of political commitment.

The researchers have recommended that the prevailing law be amended or a new law be drawn up to prevent sexual harassment, proper assistance for women victims be ensured, the offender be brought under the law and punished and gender issues be included in textbooks. They suggest that a separate police department be opened to stop sexual harassment.