Violence against women connotes a violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and impairs their enjoyment of these rights and freedoms. Millions of women and girls suffer disproportionately from violence both at times of peace and war, in the hands of state, in home and in community. Across the globe, women are battered, raped, mutilated and killed. Male violence against women and girls remains a major structural and societal problem. Regardless of positive and significant achievements in legislation and policy making in national and international arena and despite the progress achieved towards de jure gender equality, the realization of de facto gender equality remains to be a challenge with regard to distribution of power and responsibilities, gender pay gap and access to economic, social and cultural resources due to prevailing traditional gender roles resulting in a lack of respect for and protection of women’s human rights. This article focuses on the gap between the de jure and de facto gender equality in the context of Bangladesh and recommends for the achievement of a balance between these two factors to be used as a tool or mechanism for prevention of violence against women.