Bonik Barta graph Many women have to live away from their husbands due to different
reasons like employment, education or migration. And, in Bangladesh, a good 16
percent of all married women do that. According to anthropologists and
psychologists, the process of formation of ideal families is hindered due to
this parting, negatively affecting the psychological, economic, social, security
and health characteristics of the most primitive institution.
Anthropologists and psychologists say that husband and wife are
equally responsible in making an ideal family. The physical absence of one of
them is most likely to hinder the process. Education, morality and sense of
dignity of the children may be harmed.
The information on women living separately was revealed in a
survey titled ‘Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (2022)’. National
Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT) of the Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare conducted the survey, which is the latest. According
to the survey, 16 percent of currently married women have husbands who live
overseas or elsewhere within Bangladesh. Married women in rural areas, better
educated women and women from wealthier households are more likely to have
husbands living elsewhere. The percentage in case women living in rural areas
stands at 17.5 percent while it is 12.5 percent in urban areas.
The survey shows that Chittagong division has the highest rate
(28 percent) among the women living without husbands, followed by 20 percent in
Barisal, 18 percent in Sylhet, 15 percent in Dhaka, 13 percent in Mymensingh,
12 percent in Khulna, 10 percent in Rajshahi and 9 percent in Rangpur.
Thirty eight percent of women whose husbands live elsewhere
had no visits from their husbands in the 12 months preceding the survey. This
proportion is 35.9 percent in urban areas and 38.3 percent in rural areas. Husbands
of 41 percent women met their families one to five times in a year. Eleven
percent did so six to eleven times in a year. And, 11 percent of the husbands
met their family once or more every month.
Professor Dr Noor Muhammad of Psychology Department of
Jagannath University refers family as the first step of socialization. “Children
learn about society, religion, morality, sense of dignity and love from family.
We call it family education. Absence of father deprives children of his love,
care and guidance. The presence of both mother and father is important for the
psychological growth of children,” he told Bonik Barta.
Experts attribute the absence of a man from the family to
issues like climate change, urbanization, financial solvency and desire to go
abroad. Professor of Anthropology at
Dhaka University Hasan A Shafie told Bonik Barta, “A coordinated decision by
both husband and wife is needed for all the family activities. It is not
possible if husband and wife live separately. This type of families tend to
face different social problems,” he told Bonik Barta.
“Each
family is an institution. Children who do not get father go through different
social problems. The absence of a father questions the objectives of a family,”
he added.
As the families in Bangladesh are dominated by men, the health
of other members is affected due to the absence of the husbands. Public health experts
say that long-term and non-infectious diseases have gone up in the country. The
treatment for some of the diseases is long-term. And, the head of a family has
an important role to play.
Experts also say that women sometimes suffer from diseases
that are not curable. Their treatment gets delayed due to absence of their
husbands. Children also suffer for longer period due to absence of their
fathers.
“Men and women have to live separately as society has changed.
The state and society will have to come forward to face this crisis. But, we do
not see that in our country. The issue of migration is creating more challenges,”
Dhaka University Professor and Chair of Refugee and Migratory Movements
Research Unit Dr Tasneem Siddiqui told Bonik Barta.
