What is marital rape?
In common language marital rape is sexual intercourse between one partner with the other partner. The marital rape can happen with either with women or with men but in India marital, most of the times happen with women. In most of the countries like Australia, Denmark, Germany, the US and many countries marital rape is criminalised. But still, there are 36 countries in the world where marital rape is not criminalised because people think after marriage women are the personal property of the men and then it the wish of men to treat women according to their desire. And it is sorrowful fact that India is also one of those countries where on one side in temples women are worshipped as a goddess but on the other side, they are treated as slaves in their own homes. But why this marital rape happens?
In developing countries, men consider themselves superior to women. As they think women are economically dependent on them as they are only earning hand of the house. Moreover, they think women are not that much physically strong as men so they can do anything forcefully with them. And for men “marriage is the licence to do sex” whether it is having the consent of the wife because neither the general public nor the government is not going to raise a question. But now the question arises whose mistake is this MEN or WOMEN?
In my point view, it is a mistake of both MEN and WOMEN because it is well said that “The person who is committing the crime is guilty but the person who is suffering from the crime but shill he/she is quiet is guiltier.” So firstly we have to find out why women are still quiet even though they are suffering? In my point of view firstly women are not aware of their fundamental rights and this arises due to lack of education (illiteracy). Secondary due to a lot of family pressure i.e. if women will go to the police station to lodge an F.I.R. against her husband what will society think of her and her family? Thirdly in Indian society from the very early age, a girl is taught that a marriage should never break, marriage is another name of compromise, and in a marriage, a woman has to do a lot of compromises. Lastly, women think if not now maybe sometime later their husband’s nature would change.
Now coming on the men’s point of view from their childhood they are taught that they are superior to women, they can do those things which a woman cannot do! Secondary after marriage they stop their wife to do the job and just look after his family and do household chores and then they get the feeling of superiority. Mostly importantly Indian society has become male-dominated because of stupid rituals that are being followed from past ages without any proper reasons.
Government’s point of view on MARITAL RAPE is that they think marriage is a very sacred thing in Indian society and one should not interfere in that. It is the personal matter of the family. Because of all this, the rate of marital rape is increasing on high rate and as a result cases regarding the burning of women by husband, domestic violence etc are also increasing. So all these facts are acting are eye-openers that in today’s world marital rape should be criminalised in every country. Because the consequences of this are very harmful to women:
- The women will suffer mentally a lot from this she will develop a feeling that nobody will ever listen to her and thus she will become quiet and will quietly tolerate the ill behaviour of her husband.
- Sometimes the forceful corpus may result in wanted pregnancies for which the women may be mentally as well as physically is not ready.
- Sometimes forceful intercourse may result in STD’s from which women may also die.
Marriage is a very beautiful part of the journey of the life of women. If the husband is nice and respects the thoughts of his wife then marriage becomes very phenomenal. Marriage is like two-wheeler if one side is husband then the other side is wife, if one side’s tyre gets flattened then the vehicle cannot run smoothly like that only if the husband knows what his wife expects from him then-husband would never force his wife to do anything against her will.
It’s the need of the hour people, as well as government, should start take steps regarding MARITAL RAPE. As personal it’s firstly the responsibility of the parents that they should teach their sons to respect women and take care of her as well as of her emotions. Parents should teach their son about gender equality i.e. women and men are equal. Secondary parents should also teach their daughter that they should not suffer from anything quietly and they should raise their voice against any abuse. The government should start taking steps regarding MARITAL RAPE. They should completely criminalise it. As a woman is not a personal property so no one has a right to have sexual intercourse with against her will. A home is the only place where a person feels safe so women also have a right to feel save inside 4 walls of the house. Moreover, men should learn to accept that NO means NO.
In the end, everybody accepts that if nobody listens to them then the government will listen to their problem and will solve it then it’s also a writ of the women to accept this government and should take necessary steps regarding MARITAL RAPE. The government should make strict laws and regulations that should prove that a husband has no right to force his wife to do the things against her will.
This blog is written by Pragya Sharma, Amity University.
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