Sexual Harassment and the Public Woman

The frenzied pace of harassment, gang rape and subse quent suicides in Bangladesh during the last few months has made it difficult to keep track of the specifics of each incident. Fahima, Rahima, Indrani, Sabina — these names and the horrific events associated with them have begun to blur into one another. There are also countless other women — like the two garment workers who were raped in their rented rooms in early March — whose names fail to find mention in news reports.

However, one of the most distressing aspects of the reports is the number of women and girls who have felt compelled to commit suicide in the aftermath of a violent and traumatic encounter. Their recourse to suicide could very well be the result of cultural constructions of honour and shame which do not allow for the acceptance of such 'tarnished' women into mainstream society. As an explanation, this provides a partial and tidy answer.