Submission ID 130820
| Issue/Objective | Issue: The two-finger test (TFT), a public health concern, perpetuates gender-based violence and intersects with health inequity and unequal access to justice. Although banned in many countries, the scant evidence on the implementation of the ban suggests its poor implementation. Continued use of TFT directly threatens gender equality, the SDG 5, negatively impacting bodily integrity and human rights of survivors of rape. Objective: The study explored barriers and facilitators in the implementation of the TFT ban in Bangladesh with a focus on knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of the stakeholders around TFT. |
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| Methodology/Approach | Methods: Qualitative data were collected from Dhaka, Dinajpur and Rangpur districts between October 2023 and January 2024 using 35 key informant interviews with stakeholders from the health, legal and NGO sectors; two focus group discussions with NGO staff; and five in-depth interviews with rape survivors or their parents. Data were coded via Atlas.ti 7 and analysed using the grounded theory. |
| Results | Results: The findings revealed widespread practice of TFT by healthcare providers outside of capital. Healthcare providers' conviction regarding the usefulness of TFT in proving rape combined with judicial acceptance of TFT-based findings were contributing factors that hindered implementation of the ban in Dinajpur and Rangpur. The implementation of the ban in Dhaka was linked to awareness of the healthcare providers about the ban, their knowledge of the ineffectiveness of TFT in proving rape and rejection of the TFT-based findings at the court. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | Conclusion: Awareness must be promoted about the ban and ineffectiveness of TFT in proving rape not only in the health sector, but also in the legal sector. In addition, measures must be taken to ensure compliance to the ban. The findings have implications for programmes and policies not only in Bangladesh but also in other low- and middle-income countries grappling with TFT ban implementation to ensure dignified healthcare to rape survivors. |
| Presenters and Affiliations | Nahida Akter International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) Ruchira Tabassum Naved International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh |
