Negotiating state and NGO politics in Bangladesh: women mobilize against acid violence

Abstract

This note showcases the story of Nurun Nahar, a survivor of acid violence in Bangladesh, to demonstrate that, despite protective measures, state, medical, and legal institutions continually fail to adequately respond to violence against women systematically and deny women rights to state protection, which are affirmatively embodied in law. The failure of state institutions to ensure appropriate care has been somewhat mitigated by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), particularly women's groups, which are albeit heavily constrained because of the volume of demand yet scarcity of expertise, infrastructure, and funds. In addition, this note offers some thoughts on how nonstate actors, namely, women's NGOs, have created alternative strategies and visions for victimized women's recovery and empowerment.