A Research Proposal

On
“Take Action to Protect Women: A study on Pabna Sadar,
Bangladesh”

Course Title: Research Proposal Writing

Course Code: PA- 3107
This research proposal is submitted to the department of Public
Administration
for the part of B.S.S Honour’s 3rd Year 1st Semester- 2019

Submitted By
Name: K.M. Ashraful Alam
Roll: 171925
Registration no.: 1195073
Session- 2016-17
3 Year 1st Semester
rd

Department of Public Administration

Pabna University of Science and Technology

Supervisor
Bulbul Ahmed
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Public Administration
Pabna University of Science and Technology

Submission 13/09/2021

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 CONTENTS

SL NO. Items Name Page No.

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Problem Statement of the Study 1-2

1.3 Objectives of the Study 2-3

1.4 Literature Review 3-4

1.5 Justification of the Study 4

1.6 Research Methodology 4-7

1.7 Chapter Outline of the Study 7

1.8 Work plan and Time frame 8

1.9 Conclusion 9

1.10 References 10

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1.1 Introduction
In our country there is a vicious cycle of gender inequalities. Our country’s women and
children are still not safe. Many untoward incidents are caused in daily life and women are
being victimized.

Violence against women and girls is all too prevalent in the world. Its crosses cultures,
economic status and ethnicity.

Violence can take many forms; domestic abuse, trafficking, rape or harmful practices such as
early marriage and female genital mutilation, neglect older women.

To stop this violence we need to take action. Various effective actions can save our women,
child and younger girls. People should be more responsive and alert to save women and
children as well as for future.

Action is needed in a number of sectors (including health, child protection, justice/rights,

education, economic development, etc.) and efforts need to be coordinated across sectors.
Likewise, a wide range of stakeholders have a role to play in ending violence against women
and children.

The protection of women and girls, like that of men and boys, is first and foremost a State
responsibility. To protect women and girls everyone should come forward equally. If we are
aware then it is possible to stop the oppression of women.

1.2 Problem Statement of the Study

Most of the time women are abused. Many of the victims are sexually or physically harassed
by their known people. It means women in our society are not safe even within their own
surroundings.

Social awareness is a must to ensure the safety of women. So, we need to take actions to
protect women and girls. All the people in the society have the responsibility to ensure an
environment where women can safely move in the society.

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But people are not aware about the importance and evaluation of women in society. Most of
the men want to dominate the women. For this reason women and girls cannot do anything
willingly.

Women are abused physically, sexually, emotionally, financially or trafficking. Day by day
their social life is becoming more difficult to live an independent and comfortable life.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

Almost everywhere women violence is seen in Pabna city. But not only in Pabna city but in
all places the news of violence against women is found.

This study will help to empower women and raise awareness about their rights as well as-

1. Women’s work is often overlooked, unpaid and undervalued. They work in unsafe
conditions and have precarious jobs. Across the world, women and girls are at risk of
violence. We must challenge the social and cultural norms that lead to women’s
vulnerability. Government must do more to serve the needs of poor and excluded
women and to protect and advance their rights.
2. We believe that 18 is the minimum age of marriage for girls. Early marriage of girls is
a curse. This study will raise awareness of the harmful impact of child marriage. We
know that child marriage is a barrier to achieving a range of development goals.
Ending child marriage will not happen overnight and requires ongoing action by
multiple actions. The media, policy makers and thought leaders need to sustain and
increase their attention on child marriage as a priority issue.
3. To eliminate all forms of discrimination against the girl child and women. Eliminate
the injustice and obstacles so that all women and children may enjoy their rights
without discrimination.
4. To eradicate violence against the girl child. Enact and enforce legislation protecting
girls and women from all forms of violence by eliminating negative cultural attitudes
and practices against girls.
5. To promote the girl child’s awareness of and participation in social, economic and
political life. Develop public awareness and media campaigns to give visibility to
gendered violence. Afterwards exploited and trafficked girls are not "bad girls" or

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 "child prostitutes". Encourage law enforcement and prosecutorial protocols to treat
girls as victims and not criminals. End domestic child sex trafficking and the sexual
exploitation of young women.

1.4 Literature Review

Violence against women is a global concern that is often predictable and preventable. Women
of all ages, backgrounds and identities are at risk of being hurt physically, sexually,
psychologically and through neglect.

The convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (1979,
CEDAW) is the only legally binding treaty at the international level focusing exclusively on
women’s rights. It interprets and applies the right to education in a way that considers the
specific needs and circumstances of women and girls.

Rosy Hasina, headmaster of Selim Nazir High School, Pabna, said the criminals dare to
commit crime repeatedly as offenders often go unpunished.

“Social awareness is a must to ensure the safety of women. If we fail to do so we won’t be

able to get a healthy society.” Rosy said.

Malhotra Anju, UNICEF’s principle gender advisor said, “We need action now to end this
brutality that has become routine and to give the victims of violence the justice and protection
they deserve.”

“Trafficking for sexual exploitation is rooted in gender inequalities. Anti-trafficking efforts

cannot and must not overlook the gender specific roots of this crime, which make women and
girls more vulnerable to trafficking,” said Langbakk Virginija (EIGE’s director).

By Crooks Claire from the University of Western Ontario and the Centre for Addiction and
Mental Health, provides an overview of the intergenerational transmission of violence. It also
explores the ways in which violence against children can have long-term impacts as well as
what considerations are valuable in designing interventions to prevent child maltreatment.

International agreements have made crucial links between women and the environment; the
challenge is to take action. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (1979), an international “bill of rights” for women, addresses
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a host of environmental issues. Likewise, the Beijing Platform for Action, an outcome of the
Fourth World Conference on Women (1995), includes an entire chapter on women and the
environment. It foreshadowed the different impacts global warming would have on women
and men, which are now evident across the globe.

1.5 Justification of the Study

Violence against women and girls does not discrimination by race, religion, culture, class or
country, Worldwide, one in three women have experienced either physical or sexual violence.

A 15 year old school girl of Sujanagar municipality area in Pabna was gang rapped while an
11 year old girl was sexually harassed by a neighbor (September, 2018).

So this research will explain many cases of women’s persecution with explaining how
women will stand against injustice and to protect themselves.

Firstly, the study will help to find out the barriers of society that why do injustice happen
with girls or women?

Secondly, this study will conduct to know what kind of people is doing such crimes and who
are being victimized more?

Thirdly, this study is needed to raise girl’s voice about their rights and to stand up against
violence.

Lastly, the study will provide to do much more to respond to the cries for injustice of women
and children who have suffered violence.

1.6 Research Methodology

Research Method: To conduct the study a specific and planned methodology will be
followed which will help to conduct the research orderly and enrich the findings of the study.
Methodology is a one kind of systematic approach which describes about the working
procedure of the study.

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Sources of data and Techniques of Data collection: Data on violence against women can
be obtained from different sources, including via sample surveys or from administrative
institutions dealing with reported cases of violence against women.

The data will be collected from both primary and secondary data. Different relevant
published news report, websites, journals, online articles, books, thesis papers, publications
will be our sources of secondary data.

Primary data relating to the subject matter of the study will be collected through following
techniques-

1. Questionnaire Survey: Using exploratory interviews and the study to recover the
problem how we can protect women and girls. This study is based on primary and
secondary data. It will also help us to know how women are being abused against
the crime. In order to collect primary data different types of structured
questionnaire will be used having both close and open ended questions. One type
question will be used for schools, colleges and university girls and another type
will be used for local women and girls who have faced various repression.
2. Focus Group Discussion: The study will also carry out focused group discussion
(FGD) where women of all ages will express their opinion about the study.
3. Key Informant Interview: Some women who are harassed emotionally, physically
and mentally they will be the key informants in this study.

This procedure will help to know about violence against women thus we can take action to
protect women and girls. The right step will help women to reduce oppression.

Selection of study area and Sample: It is not possible to collect data from every girl and
women of the country.

To conduct the research Pabna Sadar, Pabna district will be selected as the study area. Since
women of all ages are more harassed, I will try to collect information from of all levels and
ages women.

For making things easier, I will take perceptions of 100 people as my theoretical population
which will be applied simple random sampling.

Then a sample of 100 women’s perceptions will be taken from the theoretical population
through applying convenience sampling and proportional quota sampling.

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Now we see the proportion of respondents-

Sample Frame of the Study

Respondents (with categories) Percentage

Girls (School) 5%

Girls (College) 5%

Girls (University) 5%

Working Women 5%

House wife 5%

Older women 5%

Female teachers of educational institutions 5%

Underprivileged women 25%

Key informant (Female member- Upazila 40%

Chairman, Vice Chairman, government
personnel dealing women issues)

Total 100%

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This sampling plan will help to generalize the findings to that population of the sample that
will be found by conducting the study. We must ensure meaningful youth participation, and
the engagement of affected girls, women and youth organizations, in the design and delivery
of solutions.
Data Presentation and Analysis: Data will be presented in graph charts, tables, diagram etc
to make those data meaningful and easily realized. Data will be processed by different steps
like scrutinizing, editing, coding, classification and tabulation.

1.7 Chapter Outline of the Study

Chapter 1: Introductory remarks

This study will provide an overall view of the study. It includes problem of the study, key
literature review, objectives and questions of the study, justification of the study and the
framework of thesis.

Chapter 2: Methodology of the research

It will provide reason preferences to take the methodology approaches, selection of the
sample, data techniques and collection.

Chapter 3: Conceptual framework

This chapter will provide the conceptual aspects and a frame work will be plotted for the
balanced development of the research.

Chapter 4: Pattern of data collection

This chapter will provide the questionnaire pattern to collect the data of taking action to
protect women which are more useful to conduct the study.

Chapter 5: Conclusion

Finally this chapter will be end up with the concluding statement and provide the obstacles in
the way of including taking various steps to protect girls and women which should be
implemented.

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1.8 Work plan and Time Frame

Description of the work plan Time frame Duration

Course work June, 2019 – December, 2019 7 Months

Preparation of research proposal January, 2020 – April, 2020 4 Months

and approval

Field observation, formulation of May, 2020 – July, 2020 3 Months

questionnaire, modification and
finalizing
Data collection, Editing and August, 2020 – September, 2020 2 Months
processing – 1st phase
Data collection, Editing and October, 2020 – November, 2020 2 Months
processing – 2nd phase
Data Analysis December, 2020 – January, 2021 2 Months

Preparing Draft Dissertation and February, 2021 – April, 2021 3 Months

Pre-submission Seminar
Draft Editing, Improving and May, 2021 – June, 2021 2 Months
preparation Final Dissertation
Submission of the Final Thesis July, 2021 1 Month

Total June, 2019 – July, 2021 2 Years

and 2
Months

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1.9 Conclusion

Many girls, young women and older women in Bangladesh choose to keep their experiences
of sexual harassment or abuse secret for fear of being ashamed by society or their families.

Violence against women in Bangladesh is widespread, administrative failure and lack of

social resistance and implementation of laws are the main reasons that lead to the perpetrators
going free.

About one out of every 10 girls in the world experience sexual violence, according to UN
figures – the majority between the ages of 15 and 19. This should make us all very angry. We
are more forgiving of perpetrators, and if they manage to escape law, they can carry on as
usual. But when a girl is assaulted, she is held more accountable than even the perpetrators.
The incident affects not just her life but of all the girls in her family, community,
neighborhood and village.

This study will help us to know the barriers of women’s all over development. Easily we will
able to know about the abusive work against women and girls. Thus it will help us to take
proper and initiative actions to protect women.

Sometimes it can be difficult to collect data of abusive work against women due to be
frightened. Women are afraid to say for male dominant society. And sometimes women and
girls cannot be blurted of their violence for being ashamed. Thus they want to keep secret.
And it can be a constraint of the study in covering information and data.

But it’s high time to stand against women violence. The silence on violence against women
and children has been broken and now. Now is the time for stronger action.

It is time to back fight for women who face physical and sexual violence in their lifetime. In
particular, governments and other duty holders have a special responsibility to uphold,
respect and protect the rights of girls and women.

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1.10 References

Dalal K, Rahman F, Jansson B. Wife abuse in rural Bangladesh. J Biosoc Sci. 2009
Sep;41(5):561–573.
Women and the Environment by Bureau of International Information Programs, United States
Department of State
Anju Malhotra, UNICEF’s Principal Gender Advisor (A key adviser to the United Nations
children’s agency).
Claire Crooks (University of Western Ontario and the Centre for Addiction and Mental
Health) “provides an overview of the intergenerational transmission of violence.”
WHO. World report on violence and health. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2002.
Jahan R. Hidden Danger: Women and Family Violence in Bangladesh. Dhaka: Women;
1994.p.1-165.
Hartmann B, Boyce JK. A Quiet Violence: View from a Bangladesh village. Dhaka:
University Press Ltd.; 1990. p. 1-297.
Hadi A. Household Violence against Women in Rural Bangladesh. Dhaka: Research and
Evaluation Division, BRAG; 1997. p.3. Watch report: 27.
Schuler SR, Hashemi SM, Rilay AP, Akhter S. Credit Programs, Patriarchy and Men's
Violence against Women in Rural Bangladesh. Soc Sci Med. 1996;43(12):1729-42.
Dutton DG. Patriarchy and Wife Assault: the Ecological Fallacy. Violence and Victims.

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