adhunika blog

The following article is written by our regural participant Sabrin Chowdhury.

“The day my boyfriend started degrading me,
I held back my tears and remained silent.
The day my boyfriend started brutally abusing me,
I held back my tears and remained silent.
But the day my boyfriend looked at me and stated matter of factly ‘I’m sorry I hurt you but it’s your fault. You must always do something to instigate me,’
I let the tears flow from the depths of my soul and knew I could no longer remain silent.”
~ Survivor

Domestic violence is defined as “a pattern of abusive behavior which keeps one partner in a position of power over the other partner through the use of fear, intimidation, and control.” But in reality it is so much more and a much larger problem then we realize.

Studies show that up to 3 million women are physically abused annually by intimate partners in the United States. However, the numbers seem worse for the South Asian community in the U.S, where approximately 41% of women are physically and/or sexually abused in some way by their current male partners in their lifetime. Unfortunately, the real percentage may be higher as many South Asian women are less likely to categorize various interactions as domestic violence, or are afraid or prevented from reporting such incidents. (more…)

Following article is written by our regular participant Sharmin Islam.

Pregnancy and the road to motherhood is a special journey that women experience.  While it is a truly special time, the road to get there can often be a long and twisted one.  I am sharing my personal story to show the unexpected, turbulent and emotional ride that women often go through before they are able to enjoy the fruits of their labor. 

About a year and a half after I got married back in 2002, I had this sudden and immense desire to have a baby and experience motherhood.  I have always loved babies, and finally I felt like the time was right to start my own family.  When I told my husband of my desire to start a family, he was a bit hesitant to take on any parental responsibilities at that point.  Although I was disappointed, we agreed to wait a little longer before we embarked on the journey to parenthood.  I felt that was only fair, since I wanted both of us to be on the same page and emotionally ready to start a family. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some months down the line when we decided that the time was finally right to try bringing a baby into this world, I was elated.  I felt like I could finally get started towards fulfilling my dream of having my own family.  Initially, I wasn’t worried when I didn’t conceive right away, but as the months rolled by and I still hadn’t gotten pregnant, I started to get disappointed every time my period would arrive.  When seven months passed without any signs of pregnancy, I started to cry every time I got my period.  What started out as an eager and joyful adventure towards parenthood, started to weigh down on my husband and I, especially as we heard more and more of our friends getting pregnant, while we were still trying so hard to conceive.  (more…)

According to the American Breast Cancer Society in US this year one woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. In addition, 1,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 400 will die this year. If detected early, the five-year survival rate exceeds 95%.

But do you know how many Bangladeshi women and men will develop breast cancer this year? If the answer is no, you are not alone. We nor the journals published by the health professionals serving community in Bangladesh is aware of the statistics that is creeping up every year.

In October 2006, when we first published our article on Breast Cancer among Bangladeshi Women, it was alarming to find out the lack of information on Bangladeshi women and men who are diagnosed with the cancer. We started to hear shocking stories from our friends about how the loved ones were left feeling helpless once they were diagnosed with the cancer. They were completely unprepared feeling hopeless and helpless not knowing where to turn for support when they were diagnosed. This year we want to change that hopeless and helpless feeling of those individuals who are either diagnosed or at the risk of developing breast cancer. We want to empower our loved ones with coping skills and show that we care and that we will stand by them as they fight this difficult phase of their lives. (more…)