Single mother crisis in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a country where single motherhood is increasing rapidly, and it has become a significant issue for the country.

Single mothers are facing several crises in Bangladesh, including financial, social, and psychological.

This blog will discuss the single mother crisis in Bangladesh and the factors behind this crisis.

Factors behind the single mother crisis in Bangladesh There are several factors behind the single mother crisis in Bangladesh, including:

Single mother crisis in Bangladesh
  1. Divorce: The number of divorces has increased in Bangladesh, and this has led to an increase in the number of single mothers.
  2. Death of husbands: The mortality rate of men is higher in Bangladesh than women, which has left many women as single mothers.
  3. Unwed mothers: In Bangladesh, unwed mothers face social stigmatization, and they are often forced to raise their children alone.
  4. Economic situation: Poverty is prevalent in Bangladesh, and many women are unable to provide for their families, leading to a rise in single motherhood.

Challenges faced by Single mothers in Bangladesh face several challenges, including:

  1. Financial problems: Most single mothers are unable to provide for their children as they lack financial resources.
  2. Social stigmatization: Single mothers in Bangladesh face social stigma, and they are often discriminated against by society.
  3. Lack of education: Many single mothers in Bangladesh lack education, which limits their job prospects and income.
  4. Childcare: Single mothers often struggle to find reliable and affordable childcare, which makes it difficult for them to work and provide for their children.
  5. Mental health issues: Single mothers often face depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems due to the stress of raising children alone.

Support for single mothers in Bangladesh
The government of Bangladesh has taken some steps to support single mothers, including:

  1. Providing financial assistance: The government provides financial assistance to single mothers through various programs, including the Safety Net Program, which provides cash transfers to vulnerable families.
  2. Educational opportunities: The government provides educational opportunities for single mothers, including free primary education and vocational training.
  3. Job opportunities: The government has created job opportunities for single mothers, including employment in the garment industry, which is the largest employer in the country.
  4. Counseling services: The government provides counseling services for single mothers to help them cope with the challenges they face.

Conclusion :

Single motherhood is a significant issue in Bangladesh, and it has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. Single mothers face several challenges, including financial, social, and psychological.

The government of Bangladesh has taken some steps to support single mothers, but more needs to be done to address the root causes of this crisis and provide more comprehensive support for single mothers.

Single Mother in Bangladesh

A perfect marriage is just two imperfect people refusing to give up.

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person, but, sometimes things may not end up as one has always dreamed.

Single Mother in Bangladesh | What if that give up phase comes up? Sometimes people do face situations that they never dreamed of, that breaks their soul. But is it the end of someone’s life? Should someone put a full stop to our hopes, ambition, and especially to parenthood.

Single Mother | Single parents, especially moms, face a number of challenges every day across the globe and especially in Bangladesh.

SINGLE MOTHER CRISIS IN BANGLADESH

This article is just an attempt to cover all the griefs and challenges of a single mother.

Single Mother | Bangladesh

Some women opt for single motherhood, while the majority of them are divorced mothers or widows.

In our patriarchal society, where some people shout that women have now received much more rights than before under the name of feminism, which is, in my belief, a right that women should not ask for or feel entitled to use –

it’s their fundamental right and women are just snatching back their freedom from this patriarchal society.

Maybe feminism, sometimes, has been misused but is it right to generalize it under the topic feminism and suppress the whole movement?

While some women have successfully recognized their fundamental rights and are raising their voices against their suppression, some ladies, at this present era, are suffering silently and paying an emotional cost to start an independent life after marriage, raise their child without a father or even think smoothly of a second marriage.

No one knows the fate of a relationship. It becomes really hard for a single parent to raise up a child all on his/her own.

Apart from social stigma, there are a lot more challenges like:- Financial pressure- Confronting the child- Depression and anxiety- Work/life Balance.- Hard to find reliable childcare support.

Single parents already face too many problems, and talking especially about single mothers, here are some challenges they face every day in Bangladeshi society:

  • Lack of a support system
    Besides being the sole breadwinners, they have to take care of their children and mana a home single-handedly. Other than the financial challenges, being a single mother is also emotionally draining and stressful.

    The sense of loneliness is enhanced when the workplace environment is unpleasant and not accommodating.
  • High vulnerability and being judge
    In Bangladesh, where patriarchy is quite prevalent, a single mother is treated differently from someone who has a husband.

    Single moms often face illicit approaches by other men, ranging from mild flirtations to subtle hints to sexual harassment.
    It becomes particularly disturbing for those women who have been victims of harassment, abuse, and domestic violence.

    This adds to their stress and they often don’t share their grievances with anyone, fearing being judged. “Being single doesn’t mean that we are available.

    It’s important that the way single mothers are perceived in society should change.

    Rather than considering a single mother weak, it’s high time society starts looking at our strengths. Even today, single mothers find it difficult to accept their status in an open forum, because people tend to judge.

    A divorcee is often judged for her character because, in a patriarchal set-up, women are expected to accept men the way they are.

    It doesn’t matter if the husbands are drunkards, gamblers, or womanizers,
    ” says Dhaka-based Kulsom Akter Dipa, who parted ways with her husband many years ago. “I am happy being single, rather than being cheated on,” she adds.

Another single mother, Nusrat Sultana Tanni, says, “Women in Bangladesh and everywhere, are constantly judged.

I have been called strong, willful, headstrong, weak, unsteady, and been pitied. In turn, people have also assumed that I cannot sustain relationships, I am fast/ have a loose character, etc.

I have been cautioned not to post too many pictures on Facebook that show me ‘partying’ or having a good time –

lest people think I am neglecting my child. Patriarchy is age-old and deeply entrenched in most of us, else would we even get married or utter vows to love, honor, and obey?

Single Mother Bangladesh
Single Mother Bangladesh Bride Groom | Bibahabd

Despite many examples of strong single mothers, women ably and single-handedly raising their children in Bangladesh today, she is still expected to be ‘sanskaari’, waiting for the next man/ marriage, and made the butt of jokes and snide remarks.”

City-based media professional, Riya (Not Actual Name), shares, “I often face this (being approached by men), but since I have been a single mom for a while, I know how to overcome such situations.

I chose the path (single motherhood) for a reason and I have proven to the world that I’m a confident woman, who can fight all the challenges with a smile on my face.”

  • Social pressures of getting married
    Many single mothers have experienced that in Bangladesh, there’s always the pressure of getting married. “Society conveniently ignores the complex family bond that might get created if a single mother remarries.

    It’s (remarriage) a risk, which may work or may fail miserably. But as a single parent, unsolicited advice is bound to come your way,” says Dr. Noor.

    Single mothers are becoming frequent in present Bangladesh with the ongoing globalization, urbanization, and more recently on account of raped or unmarried women willing to bring up their child all on their own.

    On their way to parenting, women have to face various hardships from the Government administration, schools, and most importantly from the patriarchal society like:

    All forms mandate that the father’s name be written who is considered the ‘first guardian’ of the child. Divorced women are seen with contempt by the neighborhood while a widow is sympathized instead of empathetic.

    Single woman is harassed expecting her weak to react. Some unmarried women are even forced to leave the child in an orphanage or face ostracization by their own family or society.

    The child is also at times ill-treated on account of having no father.
    Her friendship with male colleagues has seen with suspicion and her character assassinated.

    Financial troubles as they are the sole breadwinner of the family.
    Sometimes face emotional trauma as they have no one to share their problems with.

    Bangladeshi society has traditionally laid more emphasis on the “ideal family led by father” than on individual choice. Hemmed with the global current of change, the patriarchal society is yet to adjust to the concept of single mothers.

    The reaction of conservative elements has been severe, and sometimes even humiliating. The single women, whether unwed or divorced, are seen with distrust and considered incapable of handling relationships.

    They are often also discriminated against in career opportunities.

    Till recently, such discrimination even had a legal sanction. The Guardianship and Wards act denied single mothers complete guardianship of their children and put them at the mercy of the unconcerned child’s father.

    The challenge of demolishing deep-seated patriarchies in society will require far more than legal tinkering. It calls for a change in the mental attitude of society.

একক মায়েরা কেমন জীবনসঙ্গী আশা করেন!

আমাদের সমাজে বিবাহ বিচ্ছেদের ঘটনা নতুন নয়।  বিচ্ছেদের কারণ গুলো বিভিন্ন ক্ষেত্রে বিভিন্ন হয়।  কারণ যেটাই হোক বিচ্ছেদের কারনে একটা সংসার ভেঙ্গে যায়, এটায় বাস্তবতা।  তাই বলে জীবন এখানেই শেষ হয়ে যায় না, সময়ের সাথে জীবনকে চালিয়ে নিতে হয়। আমাদের দেশে অনেক মেয়েরা বিচ্ছেদের পর সন্তানকে নিয়ে আলাদা থাকছে এবং একা হাতে সন্তান লালন পালন করছে। আমেরিকতে প্রায় ৪৫% শতাংশ একক মা সন্তান লালন পালন করে। এই সংখ্যা বাংলাদেশে একদম কম না।

একা জীবন কাটানো খুব সহজ না, তাই তারা নতুন করে জীবন কে সাজাতে চেষ্টা করে। নতুন জীবনে প্রবেশের সময় একক মায়েরা অনেক বিষয়কে মাথায় রাখে, সঙ্গী নির্বাচনে তারা অনেক বেশী সতর্ক থাকে।  আপনি যদি একক মা হয়ে থাকেন তবে, সঙ্গীর ভিতরে যে বিষয় গুলো লক্ষ্য করবেন, তার একটা অংশ তুলে ধরার প্রয়াস করা হলো।

আপনার সময়কে গুরুত্ব যে দেবেঃ  যেহেতু আপনি আপনার বেশীর ভাগ সময় আপনার সন্তানকে দিচ্ছেন, এ বিষয়টা বুঝে যে ব্যক্তি আপনার কাছে তার জন্য সময় আশা করবে, আসলেই সে আদর্শ সঙ্গী হবে।

সন্তানের স্থানঃ  একক মায়ের কাছে তার পৃথিবী জুড়ে তার সন্তান থাকে।  আপনার জীবনে যে নতুন মানুষটাকে আশা করছেন তার কাছে যদি আপনার সন্তানের একটা বিশেষ স্থান থাকে।  স্থানটা যদি সে ভালোবাসা দিয়ে তৈরী করে নেয়, তবে মানুষটা আপনাকে বুঝবে।

মানুষিক স্বস্থিঃ বিচ্ছেদের পর একজন মাকে তার সন্তানকে নিয়ে অনেক বাঁধা বিপত্তি পার করতে হয়। অনেক বড় সংগ্রাম করতে হয়।  সামাজিক নানা প্রতিকূল অবস্থার কারনে অনেক কিছু সহ্য করতে হয়।মানুসিক অবস্থা ভেঙ্গে পড়ে, জীবনটা অনেক কঠিন হয়ে যায়। এই কঠিন সময়ে যে বিশেষ মানুষটা আপনাকে সম্পূর্ণ সস্থির স্থান করে দেবে, সেই আদর্শ জীবন সঙ্গী হবে।

প্রাক্তনের সাথে সম্পর্কঃ  সন্তানের কারনে বিচ্ছেদের পরেও প্রাক্তনের সাথে একটা যোগাযোগ রাখতে হয়, এই বিষয়টাকে আপনার নতুন সঙ্গী যদি খুব স্বাভাবিক ভাবে গ্রহণ করে তবে ব্যক্তিটি আপনার সকল সমস্যাকে সহজ করে দেওয়ার ক্ষমতা রাখে।

আচরণঃ  যে ব্যক্তি আপনার মন বুঝে আপনার সাথে আচরণ করবে, আপনার মন খারাপ থাকলে আপনাকে হাঁসাবে, দুঃখে আপনার পাশে থাকবে । আপনার সাথে ও আপনার সন্তানের সাথে খুব সুন্দর ব্যবহার করবে, আপনাকে আপনার সন্তানের সামনে কখনো ছোট করবেনা। আপনাকে ভালোবাসার পাশাপাশি সম্মান করবে। এরকম মানুষ আদর্শ জীবন সঙ্গী।

প্রাক্তনকে নিয়ে মাথা না ঘামানোঃ  কোন বুদ্ধিমান ব্যক্তি অতীত ঘটনাকে নিয়ে বর্তমান সম্পর্ক নষ্ট করবেনা। যে কথায় কথায় আপনার অতীত নিয়ে নানান কথা শুনাবে, সে ব্যক্তি আপনার যোগ্য না।

দায়িত্ববোধঃ  যে আপনার সকল দায়িত্ব কে নিজের দায়িত্ব মনে করবে এমনকি আপনার সন্তানের দায়িত্বও নিতে পিছুপা হবেনা, এরকম মানুষ পাওয়াটা একটা আশীর্বাদ।

মনোযোগঃ  যে ব্যক্তির মনোযোগ শুধু আপনি হবেন না, সাথে আপনার সন্তানও থাকবে এবং জীবনে এগিয়ে যাবে আপনার সাথে, আপনাকে ছাড়া নয়।  সম্পূর্ণ মনোযোগ থাকবে আপনাদের সম্পর্কটা কিভাবে সফল হবে তার উপর। এরকম ব্যক্তির উপর ভরসা করা যায়। জীবনে একবার ঘটে যাওয়া ঘটনা বার বার ফিরে যেন না আসে, এজন্য কোন সিদ্ধান্ত খুব তাড়াহুড়া করে নেওয়া যাবে না। সময় দিয়ে সঠিক সিদ্ধান্ত নিতে হবে।