Thesis Defence: Portrayal of Gender-Based Violence in the Media of Bangladesh: The Case of Rumana Monzur

Zerrin Akter Anni, supervised by Dr. Deana Simonetto, will defend their thesis titled “Portrayal of Gender-Based Violence in the Media of Bangladesh: The Case of Rumana Monzur” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies – Power, Conflict and Ideas theme.

An abstract for Zerrin Akter Anni’s thesis is included below.

Defences are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Please email deana.simonetto@ubc.ca to receive the Zoom link for this defence.

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ABSTRACT

Media plays a crucial role in shaping narratives about gender-based violence through its portrayal, framing, and dissemination of information. Media depiction of intimate partner violence (IPV) cases reveals the pervasive patriarchal, social and cultural norms and values. Drawing on the case study of Rumana Monzur, a former UBC Fulbright scholar from Bangladesh who suffered a violent assault by her ex-husband, I use an ethnographic content analysis method to explore how the Bangladeshi news media portrays intimate partner violence and the victims of such violence. The findings of my data analysis are twofold: Firstly, news media employed sensationalized and victim-blaming narratives of Rumana Monzur’s case that perpetuate symbolic forms of violence by reinforcing the harmful social and cultural stereotypes in media. Second, as the discussion around the case continued over the years, the news media shifted from victim-blaming to a victim-centred sympathetic narrative to represent Rumana as a survivor and advocate for women’s rights. This reconstruction of the victim-centred approach reflects the significance of a broader transition in media representation of victims of violence shaped by the influence of global feminist movements and transnational solidarity for women’s rights in Bangladesh.