Violence against women and girls695 killed, 1,022 raped in 10 months: NGCAF

At least 695 women and girl children were killed in the first 10 months of the current year in Bangladesh.

During the period, 347 other women and 243 girl children committed suicide, according to the National Girl Child Advocacy Forum (NGCAF) data presented at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka Tuesday.

NGCAF organised the event in collaboration with Educo (Education and Development Foundation) Bangladesh.

To prepare this report, NGCAF has sourced information from 70 national and local newspapers and 28 electronic media. Educo Bangladesh helped it collect data.

During the January–October period, 179 women and 20 female children were victims of domestic violence, while 32 women and 136 girl children faced kidnapping and trafficking abroad.

Meanwhile, at least 1,022 women and girls were raped from January to October this year with 362 victims being women and 660 girls. Moreover, 13 women and 34 girl children were killed after rape in the first 10 months of the year 2023.

Also, 53 women and 136 girl children were attempted to be raped during the period mentioned.

Moreover, a total of 352 women and girls were sexually harassed.

NGCAF put forward two demands to stop violence against women and girls that include the enactment of a law on the prevention of sexual harassment and protection of women and girls and setting up a separate department for girl children under the women and child affairs ministry.