A conference for plains indigenous women in Pabna highlighted the urgent need to establish their legal rights combat domestic and social violence and utilize free government legal aid.
Held at the Banamali Shilpakala Center on Sunday, the event was jointly organized by the 'Amrai Pari' Alliance Bread Banchte Chai and SDKS with funding from the European Union and Christian Aid. The initiative aimed to improve the living standards of indigenous women and protect them from social and workplace discrimination.
Addressing the gathering District Legal Aid Officer and Assistant Civil Judge Md. Azharul Islam reminded attendees that free legal assistance is guaranteed for poor and helpless citizens. He urged women facing domestic violence, child marriage, or dowry abuse to seek official legal remedies rather than suffering in silence.
“It is not enough to have a law raising public awareness about that law is crucial,” Islam said, calling for collective action to prevent systemic violence.
Other speakers echoed this sentiment noting that marginalized women are often deprived of justice simply because they lack knowledge of existing protections, property rights, and anti-dowry laws. They stressed that an indigenous identity should never be a barrier to justice.
The event which drew local officials journalists and development workers concluded with a call for government agencies and NGOs to build stronger social resistance against oppression. A poignant poetry recitation by Anjali Bhowmik, highlighting the indigenous struggle for justice, provided an emotional close to the day's program.
