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The number of abandoned children is rising alarmingly in our country for several reasons. Unwanted pregnancy on account of violence against women and sexual violation is one such reason. Babies born out of such kind of pregnancies are left uncared.
Most of the oppressed women and their family members are unaware of their rights, legal protection and compensation. Women are held responsible for sexual harassment and violence due to social discrimination and lack of women empowerment. Hence, the oppressed women consider themselves offenders and they are deprived of support from their families and society. As a result, the oppressed women, victims of sexual violation are forced to leave their families and go to unknown places.
In most of the cases, such women decline to inform anyone of their unwanted children. They face serious mental pressure and also have to face pathetic consequences due to social censure on unwanted pregnancy and abortion.
Women mostly from poor families face sexual harassment. Their unwanted pregnancy poses risk to their income and health. Either they go to cheap clinics or kabiraj. Thus the risk to a victim's life increases further, leading to death. The victim's family refuses to accept her. The victim's family is threatened if it demands compensation. It suffers from social insecurity and do not know where they would find a solution to their problem. The family also does not want to make it public on religious grounds.
Rural arbitration does not bring any relief for the victim. The local police station does not show interest in accepting the allegation.
While working on the issue, we saw that everyone refused to talk about the matter. The victims being traumatised or panicked do not get mental counselling. It takes time to restore their trust. There is suicidal tendency among them.
Complications of delivery is quite common in case of underage girls. Their social rehabilitation is highly challenging. They even refuse legal assistance. They are at risk if they leave the protection centre.
A social campaign involving religious leaders and through social mobilisation, mass media and may be of some help. Public representatives while delivering speeches in their areas can focus on the matter. Awareness programme can be held at educational institutions and slums. The government can arrange separate bed and free treatment for them at hospitals. Finally, under a rehabilitation programme, social security card may be distributed among such victims.
There is a need for adequate numbers of safe homes for rape victims in the country so that abandoned women and children can seek shelter there. With a view to providing necessary services to such women and children free of cost, Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) has established a safe centre for them. With financial support from KNH Germany, DAM is now implementing programmes to ensure safety and human rights of the affected people.
Abandoned children aged 0-5, who have no safe place to live in and deprived of mothers' care and affection, get the opportunity to stay at the centre. Oppressed women, who have become victim of rape and no place for them to deliver their babies, are sheltered at the centre for free.
The objective of establishing the centre is to provide accommodation facility in a safe and protected environment for abandoned babies and pregnant women -- victims of rape and sexual harassment. The centre ensures all necessary things including age-basis foods, clothes, mother's care, medical care, counselling, education, sports and recreation for abandoned children. Steps are taken to send back children to their respective families or hand them over to interested couple for their upbringing.
The centre's functions include steps for ensuring proper education for children up to age 18 and rehabilitate them at Ahsania Mission Shishu Nagari. They are then inducted in development-oriented services as well as rehabilitation programmes under which pregnant women are taken care of. Along with restoring confidence of women, skill development training is imparted for their employment.
Initiatives like this should be taken by the government in order to help victims across the country. If the government does not come forward, it would be tough for private organisations to handle the situation. The crisis is turning acuter day by day, hence, it needs proper attention now.
The writer is Programme Manager, Centre for KNH-Ahsania Abandoned Children and Destitute Women.