Population Council Research that makes a difference

Sexual violence is common in Bangladesh and India. However, rape frequently goes unreported due to fear of social disgrace and lack of faith in the health and legal systems. When cases are tried, convictions are rare because physicians and law officers fail to follow protocols, collect medical and forensic evidence, and gather information systematically. This project (formally titled "Asia Regional Situation Analysis of Care and Support Services Provided to Rape Survivors at First Point of Contact in India and Bangladesh") developed tools to conduct rapid situation analysis studies in eight urban locations (four cities in each country).

Council researchers gathered information from police officers and urban public hospitals to determine the services available to rape survivors, assess the infrastructure and procedure for dealing with rape cases, determine attitudes toward sexual violence, and gauge compliance with norms and protocols. Following dissemination of the findings, researchers prepared a proposal for testing integrated interventions to address sexual violence in South Asian countries.