Violence against women is an age-old phenomenon, which cannot be banished until a just socio-economic system develops, participants viewed at a discussion yesterday.

They suggested a host of ways to break out of the situation as they spoke on "Sexual Harassment: Prevention, Protest and Cure" atthedailyProthomAloofficeinthecapitaL

“The culture of impunity has to be stopped," said Sultana Kamal, a rights activist and former adviser to a caretaker government.

" General people have lost faith in the law enforcement agencies. Law practitioners, police and doctors should be made accountable to mitigate the situation.”

Md Hannan Miya, a hawker who rescued and helped a rape victim in Manikganj, also spoke at the roundtable, jointly organised by the Prothom Alo, Department of Women and Gender Studies, Dhaka University, and ActionAid Bangladesh.

Professor Maleka Begum of Central Women's University urged the Shahbagh youths to show solidarity against violence against women on Women's Day (March 8).

Sayed Shaikh Imtiaz, assistant professor of women and gender studies at DU, quoted a study, saying a "psychological dilemma" was growing in men as women were progressing and succeeding in different sectors. "So men should be counselled instead of being treated as opponents."

Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh Farah Kabir suggested introducing sex education in schools.

Meher Afroze Chumki, chairperson of the parliamentary body on women and children affairs, highlighted the abuse of technology in sexual harassment Improving quality of education, stern action against the practice of dowry and child marriage, training police members to be gender sensitive, providing safe accommodation and transportation for women, came as some solutions to the problem.