The Code of Shame: Stigmatisation of Male Rape Victims in Bangladesh | OHRH

Bangladeshi Queer Manifesto A Manifesto On Queer Vigilantism by Sahara Chowdhury Rabil

The author analyses how queerphobia works as a mechanism of sexual exploitation.

Mental Health, The Bangladeshi State, Culture, and Liberalism — miftah

That for Bangladeshi liberals, “the culture” and “the people” are boogeymen that shield capitalism and the state from any criticism, becomes the most ironic when the topic is mental health, and the impulse of these people is to blame mentally ill people for not seeking help.

From Non-consensual Pornography to Image-based Sexual Abuse: Charting the Course of a Problem with Many Names

Every day, people’s most intimate moments are recorded, uploaded and circulated online without their consent. This gross invasion of privacy – commonly known as ‘revenge pornography’ – has become p...

From Non-consensual Pornography to Image-based Sexual Abuse: Charting the Course of a Problem with Many Names

Every day, people’s most intimate moments are recorded, uploaded and circulated online without their consent. This gross invasion of privacy – commonly known as ‘revenge pornography’ – has become p...

A Rape in Cyberspace - The Village Voice

December 23, 1993 They say he raped them that night. They say he did it with a cunning little doll, fashioned in their image and imbued with the power to make them do whatever he desired. They say that by manipulating the doll he forced them to have sex with him, and with each other, […]

Street of Shame (1956)

The lives of five sex workers employed at a Japanese brothel while the nation is debating the passage of an anti-prostitution law.

Prevalence and experience of violence against persons with disabilities in Bangladesh: findings from a nationwide mixed-method study

Current prevalence of disability in Bangladesh stands at 7.14%. Due to various misconceptions, stigma, and lack of policies, they are more vulnerable to violence and abuse from perpetrators. However, there is a paucity of research on the prevalence of emotional, physical, and sexual violence in the country. To address this knowledge gap, the current study aims to estimate the prevalence and explore the experiences of emotional abuse, physical, and sexual violence of persons with disabilities with their coping strategies. This study adopted a mixed-method sequential design comprising qualitative and quantitative components. A total of 5000 persons with disabilities were interviewed during the survey, and mini-ethnographic case studies were conducted with 51 purposively selected persons with disabilities from all eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh. Descriptive and bivariate statistical analysis was performed for quantitative data. Qualitative data were analysed through thematic analysis. The study concludes that the lifetime prevalence of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse is 68.9%, 26.6%, and 11.5%, respectively. Male participants were more prone to experience sexual abuse than females for both lifetimes (male: 12.7% & female: 10.3%) and within the last 12 months before the survey (male: 6.6% & female: 5.1%). Neighbours and close family members were found to be perpetrators of emotional and physical violence, whereas immediate family members were the perpetrators of sexual violence. Even though participants shared several coping mechanisms, equal to or less than 0.5% sought help from a counsellor to cope with the trauma. Results from the study correspond to the earlier studies with implications for future research and urgent policy reform. Although women are more vulnerable to experiencing different forms of violence, men with disabilities are no different. However, this remains unseen and unheard. To reduce the prevalence of violence against this marginalised group, a coordinated and collaborative approach is required targeting nationwide sensitisation, easy access to help-seeking centres, and adequate policy implementation.

Broken feet, ripped-out hair and now a death sentence: the fate of twin sisters jailed over Iran protests

Taraneh Rahimi was told prison guards would rape her sister, Romina, if she did not sign a confession

Reflecting On a Few Very, Very Strange Years In Silicon Valley's Rape Culture

On rape culture in Silicon Valley and its subcultures: Rationalism, Effective Altruism, TPOT, and Vibecamp. Also the informal rules that dictate how women are allowed to talk about sexual violence.

Bangladesh’s Left is still waiting for the Calcutta train

There was a time when a Bangladeshi teen could read Kalbela and emerge from his bedroom vaguely disappointed that nobody had yet invited him to overthrow the st