Bangla Benchbook launching

A CEDAW benchbook has been compiled, which intends to assist judges and magistrates in courts across Bangladesh in carrying out their duties to ensure gender equality in the dispensation of justice in the specific context of cases on violence against women. It outlines the contours of the right to gender equality, and the duties of state authorities – in particular judges and magistrates – to ensure equality between women and men and to prohibit gender-based discrimination in the dispensation of justice, through providing remedies in cases of violence against women. It focuses on the gender equality provisions embedded in the Constitution of Bangladesh, 1972 and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, 1979 (‘CEDAW’), and how these have been interpreted by our superior courts in cases of violence against women. Due to strong demand from the govt and CSOs, a Bangla version of the Benchbook is under preparation, which will be in March 2014.