Topic: Reproductive rights of women in Bangladesh

Submitted To:
Shehreen Amin Bhuiyan (SABY)

Lecturer, North south University

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Submitted By:
Sayeedur Rahman Sayeed
1722136630

Date of Submission: 1st January 2022

 Letter of Transmittal

Shehreen Amin Bhuiyan

North South University

Plot 15 Block B, Bashundhara R/A. Dhaka‐1229. Bangladesh.

Sub: Letter of Transmittal

Dear Madam,

It is indeed a great pleasure for me to be able to hand over the WMS assignment on Reproductive
Rights of Women in Bangladesh. This report is the result of the knowledge which has been
acquired from the respective course.

I have tried my level best for preparing this assignment. The information of this assignment is
mainly based on Internet information. Some other details were gathered from the class.

I, fervently hope that you will find this plan worth reading. Please feel free for any query or
clarification that you would like me to explain. Hope you will appreciate my work and excuse
the minor errors. Thanking you for your cooperation.
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Sincerely,

Sayeedur Rahman Sayeed

1722136630
 Acknowledgement
In performing my assignment, it’s a successful one I had to take the help and guideline of some
respected persons. First of all I am grateful to Allah who gives me sound mind & sound health to
accomplish my assignment. The completion of the assignment gives me much Pleasure. But it is
not my credit in this endeavor. I would like to thank my gratitude Ms. Shehreen Amin Bhuiyan,
Lecturer, North south University for giving me a good guideline for assignment by online class.
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 Table of Content

Introduction..........................................................................................................................05

Reproductive women are right in Bangladesh......................................................................06

Some reproductive health rights are given below..................................................................07

Violence against Women.......................................................................................................09

Rape.......................................................................................................................................09

Child Marriage.......................................................................................................................10

Contraception........................................................................................................................11

Abortion.................................................................................................................................12

Sexually Transmitted Diseases..............................................................................................12

Conclusion.............................................................................................................................13

References.............................................................................................................................14
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 Introduction

Women have the right to choose whether or not to reproduce, including the right to choose
whether or not to carry or terminate an unwanted pregnancy, as well as the right to choose their
preferred method of family planning and contraception. Women's reproductive rights include
abortion rights movements, birth control, freedom from coerced sterilization and contraception,
the right to high-quality reproductive healthcare, and the right to education and access in order to
make free and informed reproductive choices. Reproductive rights flow from established human
rights protections; they are also required for the realization of a wide range of fundamental
rights.

Women, in particular, have the ability to control reproductive health decisions,

implying that they have power over their own fate. As a result, reproductive rights are a
necessary component of an open society, without which women will not be able to achieve full
equality. Women's sexual and reproductive health is intertwined with several human rights,
including the right to life, the right not to be tortured, the right to health, the right to privacy, the
right to an education, and the prohibition of discrimination. The Committee on Economic,
Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR) and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW) have both stated unequivocally that sexual and reproductive health
are among women's health rights.

While Bangladesh has made strides in maternal, neonatal, and child health (MNCH)
and family planning (FP) support services, there are still significant gaps and unmet needs. Every
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year, an estimated 5,200 mothers die as a result of pregnancy-related causes in the country, as
maternal mortality and morbidity remain major concerns. Family planning, skilled birth
attendants, antenatal, postpartum, and emergency obstetric care are all life-saving services that
affect fertility, maternal mortality, and morbidity.
 Reproductive women’s right in Bangladesh

Women in Bangladesh face challenges and

disadvantages in practically every area of their life,
including access to health care, employment
prosperity, engagement in politics and financial
management. Although sex selective health care and
infanticide suggest a correlation between the number
of females to males in Bangladesh at less than 1%, in
terms of the population, that amounts to more than 2
million missing women.

The health of urban women, particularly those living in slums is very lower than rural women
because they lack proper hygiene, water, and medical services leading to negative
health.Poverty, along with social and cultural behaviors, belief systems, gender-based violence,
a poor education, and limited medical centers leads to poor health and places women in a
condition that influences their reproductive health in Bangladesh. "Women's sexual and
reproductive rights have finally been designated as human rights," according to the court,
adding that these rights "arise from the realization that equality in general, gender equality in
particular, and the liberation of girls and women are vital to society."

Gender inequality and discrimination against girls mean that they are frequently deprived of
the freedom to make their own life decisions, including what happens to their bodies and when
and with whom they marry. Teenage pregnancy can deprive girls of their potential by
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interrupting their schooling and imposing adult duties on them. Every year, an approximately
18 million young girls give birth. Gender equality requires that girls and young women
understand their freedom to women's reproductive health and also have control over the
situation and bodies.
 Some reproductive health rights

1. Fundamental Right to Life
This implies for example, that no woman's life should be threatened because of her pregnancy,
gender, or a lack of health care services and information. This means the right to a sexual life
that is both safe and pleasurable.

2. Liberty and Personal Security

This indicates that no woman should be pushed to become pregnant, sterilized, or have an abor
tion.

3. Equality and the Elimination of all types of Discrimination

This encompasses, among other things, the right to be free from discrimination based on one's se
xual orientation or reproductive life choices.

4. Rights to privacy
This implies that all reproductive health care services, including physical setup, information
supplied or shared by clients and access to documents or reports should be kept secret. The
Right to Education and Information This includes comprehensive information on the
advantages, risks, and efficacy of all fertility management procedures, so that all decisions are
made with full, free, and informed consent.

5. Decide Whether or Not to marry,

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as well as the Right to Create and Plan a Family this includes the right of individuals to be
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protected from being forced to marry without their permission. Individuals have the freedom to
stay unmarried without fear of discrimination or pressure.

6. Determine Whether or Not to Have Children

This includes the right of individuals to freely and responsibly decide the number and spacing
of their children, as well as access to relevant services information and education.
7. Health Care and Protection from Illness

Clients have the right to the greatest possible quality of health treatment, as well as the right to
be free of harmful conventional health practices.

8. The Right to Benefits from Scientific Progress

This encompasses the right of clients to sexual and reproductive health services, as well as
access to new reproductive health technologies that are safe, efficient, and fair.

9. The Right to Assemble and Participate in Politics

This includes everyone's right to lobby communities and governments to emphasize sexual and
reproductive health and rights.

10. Right to be Free of Torture and Inhuman Treatment

This encompasses the rights of all women, men, and children to be safe from violence.

11. Developmental Rights

This encompasses the right of every individual to development chances and advantages,
particularly in judgment processes that influence his or her life.

Some of those reproductive health and rights of Bangladeshi women are discussed in this
article:
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 Violence against Women

The violence rate against women is extremely high. Violence occurs in the family, on the streets,
in schools, workplace, agricultural fields, refugee camps, and at times of conflict and disaster.

Common causes of violence against women.

Reason Percent
Dowry 32.72%
Familial dispute 32.54%
Sexual assault 19.16%
Adulterous relationship 11.20%
Domestic violence 1.1%

Marital rape is also quite prevalent.According to the, UNFPA's State of the World's Women
Population Report47 percent of Bangladeshi women had been physically attacked by a male
partner. According to this survey Bangladesh is ranked second out of 12 nations with a high rate
of violence against women. During the year 2020, at least 2,392 incidences of violence against
women were documented to the human rights group.There were 1,623 documented rapes (331
against females under the age of 12), 326 attempted rapes, and 443 physical assaults.
Indigenous women and girls were among the casualties. At least 440 women and girls were
killed as a result of physical abuse, rape, or attempted rape.
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Rape

Rape is a common and generally underreported crime in Bangladesh. There have been 17,289
documented occurrences of rape against women and children between (January 2014 to
December 2017).Only 3430 cases were heard in court, with 649 persons convicted. In
Bangladeshi tradition it might be resolving disputes through local councils or "shalish." They
 gives penalty and there are two types of penalty one is
monetary fines or the others one decision to marry the
sufferer. According to a 2013 United Nations research, 82
percent of rural males and 79 percent of urban men in
Bangladesh believed they had the right to commit rape,
with 62.1 percent feeling no shame or concern about the
repercussions and 95.1 percent suffering no legal penalties.

Child marriage

Bangladeshranks fourth in the world in terms of the incidenc
e of child marriages, with the second biggest number of chil
d marriages ("Girls Not Brides").For that   As a result, three 
out of every five females are at danger of marrying young (U
NFPA). In Bangladesh, the legal age to marry is 18 years for 
girls and 21 years for guys. Anywayin 2017, a bill called the 
Child Marriage Act was approved, which enables girls to be 
married off at a younger age in "exceptional circumstances," 

According to recent data:

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 Contraception

The fertility rate has fallen from 6.3 births per woman in 1975 to 2.3 in 2011.From 6.3 births
per woman in 1975 to 2.3 in 2011, the fertility rate has decreased. The increased availability
and usage of contraceptives by Bangladeshi couples has a significant role in this. The current
contraceptive incidence rate in Bangladesh is 62 %, with 52 %of urban women using modern
methods of birth control compared to 46 percent of rural women. The pill is the most common
method, with 29 percent of women using it, followed by injectable 7 %, and tubal ligation 5
%.Males use condoms at a rate of barely 5%. Contraception is available without a prescription
in Bangladesh. In addition, since the 1970s, social workers have been delivering contraceptives
to users' homes. According to the Guttmacher Institute, "the major reasons pill users stated for
choosing their technique (given by 35-41 percent) were that it is simple to use, a field-worker
delivered it to their house, and they were concerned about the harmful effects of alternative
methods."

Abortion
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Abortion is illegal in Bangladesh, unless when done to save the mother's life (Penal Code of
Bangladesh Sections 312-316). According to the Guttmacher Institute, the abortion rate in
2014 was 2.9 percent women aged 15 to 49. 430,000 people had received MR operations,
whereas 1,194,000 had induced abortions in what were most certainly dangerous settings. An
estimated 384,000 women had suffered from post abortal complications such as bleeding,
shock, sepsis, etcand 91 percent of clinics competent of giving care for such problems, had
done so. Urban women are roughly 1.8 times more likely than rural women to receive
treatment for complications related to abortion.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Sexually transmitted illnesses can impact people from all classes in Bangladesh, regardless of
gender or economic level and continue to be a serious concern in the health sector, particularly
for women. In Bangladesh, a huge number of migrant laborers contribute to the spread of
STDs. The general population has an extremely low HIV prevalence.

Diseases Percent
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Gonorrhea 29.5%
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Syphilis 12.6%
Non-gonococcal urethritis 41.5%
Genital herpes 8.4%
HIV 0.7%
 Conclusion

Women and children in Bangladesh have seen a decrease in maternal and child mortality over
the last two decades, despite their critically low nutritional status. Simultaneously, chronic
diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic respiratory disease are on
the rise overcrowding, poverty, unemployment, crime, and corruption continue to have a
negative impact on health-care systems. To improve the situation, the government of Bangladesh
has implemented several initiatives, including good governance and strengthening national
health policy by providing midwife-led continuous care and emergency obstetrics care. Girls'
primary school enrollment is increasing, with their overall enrollment increasing from 57 percent
in 2008 to 95.4 percent in 2017. Bangladesh is expected to be regarded as a model for the
advancement of women's health in the future.
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References

https://iedcr.gov.bd/nbph/issue-sections/d19c92d3-ae4f-4c85-b0ab-6e2767429bbe

https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/asia-and-the-pacific/south-asia/bangladesh/report-bangladesh/

https://www.youthdoit.org/themes/sexual-and-reproductive-healthand-rights-are-human-rights/?
gclid=Cj0KCQiAlMCOBhCZARIsANLid6a-
dAnghNf5YAkA4h620rfJAQjriPlJI7xsz5HV24PNTNG2rBSzuY8aAhjTEALw_wcB

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