16th September 2026
Bangladesh Joint Stakeholder Submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women at its 93rd session
6 min read
- What steps has the State party taken to criminalise marital rape by repealing the marital rape exception in section 375 of the Penal Code, and to harmonise the inconsistent ages of sexual consent between the Penal Code and the WCRPA?
- How will the State party address technology-facilitated gender-based violence not currently covered by law, including doxxing, cyberstalking and AI-enabled impersonation, and what statutory duties will be imposed on intermediary platforms?
- What steps has the State party taken to withdraw its reservations to Articles 2 and 16(1)(c) of the Convention and provide equal divorce, guardianship and custody rights for women?
- What steps has the State party taken, under the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017, to retain eighteen as the legal minimum age for girls without exception and remove criminal liability for minors?
- What steps has the State party taken to ensure data on sexual violence, child marriage and access to justice is disaggregated by disability status, and to make justice systems accessible to women and girls with disabilities?
- How will the State party enforce its Climate Change and Gender Action Plan and reverse recent cuts to climate adaptation funding for women, given the documented link between climate displacement and rising child marriage?
- What measures has the State party taken to eliminate barriers to justice arising from religious, caste or occupation-based discrimination, and from stereotyping of survivors by law enforcement and the judiciary?
- What steps has the State party taken to enact comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation and ensure that increases in the gender-responsive budget translate into increased institutional capacity, rather than being absorbed by salary and administrative costs?