A new study of The Hunger Project’s work in Bangladesh shows a 131% increase in respondents who believe that women should report domestic violence to authorities. The report reviews progress from a baseline to endline study of the POWER program in Bangladesh, which aimed to empower women leaders so that they effectively participate in local politics and challenge gender inequality and violence against women. In Bangladesh 53% of women experience physical and/or sexual violence from their partners. The baseline survey, conducted in 2015, showed that only 42% of respondents said that women should report domestic violence to authorities. The endline survey, conducted in 2017, showed that 97% of respondents now believe that women should report domestic violence to authorities. The full report included an excerpt from a discussion with one of the women leaders of Sarappur Union. She said: “In past, when violence against women used to take place, we just watched. We did not know that it was a crime. We thought that men do it and it is legitimate to hit someone. We never tried to intervene and stop it. But now, we do it as we know if we don’t resist, it will not be stopped. THP has trained us what to do in such a situation.” For more information as well as quotes from community members, check out the POWER Report Summary or read the full report.