User:Tweeb2223/Sexuality in Bangladesh

Sexuality concerns the expression, perception and experience of sex, gender and attraction. In Bangladesh, sexuality is primarily influenced by religious traditions and Bangladesh's conservative, patriarchal culture, however several indigenous minority groups such as the Garo, the Khasi and the Manipuri are traditionally matrilineal. Several topics, including sex education, romance, homosexuality, and sexual behavior are considered taboo. The perception of some taboo topics such as sex education has changed over time. However, romance and sexuality are still repressed in various ways throughout the society. Only conservative marriage system is the only way in the country to involve in sexual relationship.

Bangladeshi's sense of what constitutes masculinity and femininity generally followed along with the gender roles established for men and women. Men often felt that adherence to religious beliefs and being in a sexually active marriage were important to establishing one's masculinity, however over time money and status came to be more valued as markers of masculinity

Masculinity
In Bangladesh, men's understanding of masculinity differed across generations. Men born before the independence of Bangladesh often identified adhering to religious beliefs (particularly Islamic beliefs), being in a heterosexual marriage, providing for one's family, becoming a father, and perceived sexual success as important to reinforcing one's masculinity. In order to adhere to Islamic beliefs, men of this generation reportedly rarely engaged in pre-marital and extra-marital sex, with these kinds of relationships often being described as "bad work" or "bad relationships". Because these men lived through Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971, many men also felt that their participation (or lack thereof) in the war was also a marker of their masculinity. Infertility, a perceived lack of sexual prowess and health issues due to aging were seen as diminishing one's sense of masculinity.

Men aged 30 to 46 years old continued to hold much of the beliefs held by previous generations. Men of this generation held the belief that their masculinity was partially linked to their ability to provide for their family and how much money they earned, and so men who held lower paying occupations or faced unemployment did not feel manly. To become the 'ideal' man, they had to hold middle-class jobs, and so many men believed that their class made them subordinate to others and less masculine. Along with feeling less manly, men reported avoiding confrontation or violence if they believed that their economic prospects would be jeopardized, however violence in some contexts (such as in the case of vigilantism) was seen as more acceptable. Middle generation men also believed that marriage, adherence to Islam's beliefs, and being sexually active with one's wife was important to establish their masculinity.

Younger men in Bangladesh placed more of an importance on money, their level of education, their skills and their status as indicative of masculinity compared to older generations. Sexual prowess and being the main provider for one's family were still important to becoming 'real men', however younger men were more indifferent to adhering to religious traditions, indicating that religion played a less important to maintaining one's masculinity. Even so, engagement in pre-marital sex was still somewhat limited, with many men expressing a fear of facing social repercussions.

Femininity
In Bangladesh, women's sense of femininity is often influenced by the gender roles associated with women and differs depending on the socioeconomic background and environment of the woman. Traditionally, girls in rural areas are raised to value sacrifice for their family, and so it was expected that 'good women' were dutiful, submissive and chaste.

In upper-class families throughout the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, women generally wished to stay quiet and reserved. Many women felt that it was important that they fulfilled their duties as wives and mothers, and that to do so they should keep their emotions to themselves, be non-confrontational, be selfless and be humble. However, some women

Gender Roles within Marriage
Traditionally, a marital relationship is seen as a requirement to establish a family and an intimate sexual and romantic relationship between a man and a woman. Men are often given a higher status and more power over women in the context of marriage, creating a patriarchal family structure. Under this dynamic, domestic duties and household chores are seen as under women's domain, while men carry the expectation of being the principal wage earner and in charge of decisions regarding the family.

Once married, it is expected for women to be kept safe either through the guardianship of their husband or by observing purdah, which is a practice in both Hindu and Muslim families that emphasizes the wearing of modest clothing or confinement to the household to maintain one's safety. The responsibility of ensuring the wife's compliance with these expectations falls on the husband, and any failure to comply is seen as damaging to the husband's and family's reputation.

It is also believed that men are inherently more sexual while women are supposed to be reserved about their sexuality, and that therefore it is more natural for men to want to have more wives or sexual partners.

Domestic Violence
In Bangladesh, it was found that women are more likely to face domestic violence. Women are more likely to be the victims of domestic abuse if they are of a lower socioeconomic class or if they have not attained higher levels of education. However in more conservative areas, higher rates of domestic violence were observed against women who were more autonomous and did not conform as much to established gender norms, while the inverse was observed in less culturally conservative areas.

Underage Marriage
Girls are sometimes pressured to marry and bear children early, often to preserve the reputation of the girl's family as well as to relieve the economic burden that accompanies raising a child. Bangladesh's penal code sets the statutory age of 14 years old as the minimum age at which someone can marry, however the Child Marriage Restraint Act of 2017 allows children under the age of 14 to marry if permission from a court and parental consent are given. A lower average age at marriage has been observed in rural areas, Muslim communities and divisions in the North and West of Bangladesh such as Rangpur, Khulna and Rajshahi. However, the average age at marriage for women has increased more recently, likely due to increased education opportunities for women.

Arranged Marriage
It is common for marriages in Bangladesh to be arranged as a way of forming a union between families rather than two individuals, especially in rural areas. Within arranged marriages, many of the traditional beliefs about the gender roles of men and women are maintained. Women have often reported having less say than male counterparts in their choice of partner for an arranged marriage. Arranged marriages, through the form of forced marriages, are also sometimes used to facilitate the human trafficking of women and children.

Sexual Behavior and Health
Access to reproductive healthcare is often achieved through family planning programs, which aim to offer contraception and information related to practices that can prevent pregnancy. At first, the main focus of the programs were to promote sterilization with the purpose of limiting the population growth of Bangladesh. This drew criticism over the perception that sterilizations were forced or

Sex education before marriage is limited, with girls often learning about sex through their relatives or relatives of the groom.

A key difference between older generation and middle generation men is that most middle-generation men acknowledged sexual experiences such as arousal, awakenings, and wet dreams, with few men engaging in sexual behaviors. Some reported seeing pornographic material and engaging in masturbation, sometimes with friends. They also recalled being pressured by other men to have casual sex or pay a sex worker, however most men still reported not having pre-marital or extra-marital sex. These experiences seemed to be associated with migration into urban areas, which offered economic opportunities and anonymity to men who engaged in sexual behaviors that were looked down upon. Like the middle generation, some younger men, especially those from lower socioeconomic classes, paid for sex, however most men showed a reluctance to paying for sex work due to concerns over their reputation, a lack of emotional intimacy during the experience and unsafe sex