Taslima Nasreen
In Bangladesh, feminist Taslima Nasreen is in hiding. An Islamic fundamentalist group has declared a death sentence on her for criticising the Koran.
Nasreen is a doctor and author who writes a regular column in a Bangladeshi newspaper. She is a staunch feminist who uses her column to discuss issues such as equality of the sexes and sexuality, and who has written best-selling books.
Nasreen openly criticised the Koran and Islamic teachings for their position on women. She admits to "attacking" Islam directly, writing against the religion in order that women can "live like human beings".
In events similar to the Salman Rushdie case, an Islamic fundamentalist group in Bangladesh has called for the banning of her books and for her death. The police have issued a warrant for her arrest for "outraging religious feeling". If found guilty, she faces a possible two years' hard labour.
The position of women in Bangladesh is not good. Infant mortality is high, especially among girls — who are given less to eat when there is not enough to go around. Girls receive less education, have a higher illiteracy rate and are often confined to the house. They are expected to marry by around the age of 12. Almost half the deaths of women of child-bearing age are related to pregnancy and birth.
This picture is not unique to Bangladesh. World Health Organisation statistics show that, due to poverty and discriminatory feeding practices, the vast majority of adolescent girls in developing countries suffer from iron deficiency. Half a million women die each year from complications in pregnancy. When a mother dies, it doubles the death rate of her surviving sons and quadruples that of her daughters. At least 2 million girls a year suffer genital mutilation.
The prime minister of Bangladesh (a woman) has declared that women "enjoy equal rights" and that no discrimination exists. The opposition leader, also a woman, disagrees and brands this sloganeering by the government. Reports come in daily of women being killed for lack of a dowry, beaten up, tortured and punished by village courts.
Other women within Bangladesh are taking steps to alleviate the situation. The Bangladeshi Women's Council, for example, provides refuge accommodation for women and girls fleeing persecution.
Nasreen's outspoken condemnation of the use of the Koran in maintaining the oppression of women has been the reason for her own persecution. The campaign by fundamentalists to restrict her freedom of expression is a blatant and crude attempt to maintain the subjugation of women.
Individual fundamentalists are seeking to perpetuate a cycle of discrimination and persecution maintained over generations. Women like Nasreen are attempting to break that cycle. They are following in the footsteps of generations of women who have struggled for equal rights, and often been condemned, persecuted or ridiculed for their efforts.
The struggles of all these women will bring about a better society not only for women, but for all people.
By Kath Gelber