Violence against women also affects children

The man then took Sonia, who was pregnant with their first baby, to her father's house by a rickshaw and left the scene. Her mother rushed her to a nearby hospital but could not tell the truth due to social stigma.

A few days later, Sonia gave birth to a mentally challenged child.

Violence against women severely affects not only them but also the next generation and most such incidents take place within the family and remain secret.

Speakers at a national convention against domestic violence observed this yesterday.

They said domestic violence takes place at every level of society and women are abused more or less by their near and dear ones. They are tortured physically, mentally, economically and sexually.

The also said family members often conceal the incidents of domestic violence, leading to more such incidents.

The Action Network to Combat Violence Against Women organised the convention at Biam auditorium in the city, with the slogan 'We are united for a violence-free family'.

Representatives from rights organisations across the country took part in the convention while Shirin Haque of Naripokkho and Shaheen Anam of Manusher Jonno Foundation were present as special guests in the morning session.

The speakers said the issue of domestic violence has recently been incorporated into human rights movement.

As the movement has gained momentum, rights activists should not depend on donor agencies for assistance in carrying out the movement, they said. "Rather, we should move forward by mobilising our own resources."

The speakers also called for more discussions with all concerned before enactment of any laws to curb domestic violence so that the victims can be protected properly.

They recommended that the professional organisations should address domestic violence issues among its members of the staff.

They also suggested identifying the families facing domestic violence and taking up programmes to raise awareness among them.

They recommended incorporating the domestic violence issue into education curriculum and portraying positive image of women through mass media.

Sessions on various topics such as 'impacts of domestic violence on women's professional life', 'domestic violence and the next generation' and 'domestic violence and women's health' were held at the convention.

Executive Director of Ain O Shalish Kendra (ASK) Sultana Kamal, Action Network Chairman Syed Nurul Alam, Khaleda Khatun of AED, Prof Sadeka Halim of Dhaka University and Ruchira Tabassum of ICDDR,B also spoke at the convention.