Bangladesh went into a nationwide lockdown with one of the highest rates of child marriage worldwide, where 51% of young women get married before turning 18. While many other countries were worried about learning loss, we were worried about the increasing number of young girls becoming vulnerable to higher health risks, early pregnancies, and domestic violence as a result of child marriage.
Women’s struggles across the world have sought to redistribute power to achieve equality between women and men. Many of these have seen some real and hard-won successes. However, backlash against feminist gains is also now a visible phenomenon around the world, and especially in South Asia.
This article unpacks the ‘women’s leadership paradox’ through the case of the adoption and implementation of the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) (DVPP) Act 2010 of Bangladesh.
This special double issue on feminist protests and politics in a world of crisis explores varying themes and collective mobilisations for feminist and gender justice actors.
This article will explore who these women of Shaheen Bagh were, and how and why they came together to protest a proposed change in India’s citizenship rights.