‘Rape’ is the term that all people are aware of. But ‘Marital Rape’…. A few people knows what it is! Marital rape is a type of sexual assault which involves sexual intercourse within marriage against a spouse without his/her consent. It is a kind of domestic violence. Many societies or international institutions have considered it wrong and a crime.
It is a bitter fact that Indian society is not yet able to accept the concept of marital rape. India is still a male-dominating society where women are taught to do whatever men says since childhood. Women have been trained to fulfill their duties towards their spouses and are not allowed to say NO because to say ”NO” to her spouse is equal to a sin. In nutshell, women are guided of how to become a puppet of their future husband.
In India, males think that marriage gives them the license and right on their wives body. The consent of their wife doesn’t matter to them. They believe that once they are married their wives are obliged to them and to do as they are asked for. They don’t care whether the female body is in a state to have sex. When a men are not just in a mood for sex they say NO but if women says NO, then there comes the epic reply ” Then why did you marry? You should have stayed at your parent’s home if you don’t want to have sex. ”
The UN Population Fund states that more than 2/3rd of married women in India aged between 15-49 have been beaten, raped or forced to provide sex. In 2005, 6787 cases were recorded of women murdered by their husbands or their in-laws. And still Indian laws do not consider marital rape as a crime. In fact, 56% of Indian women believed occasional wife-beating to be justified.
Families doesn’t support their daughters in case she goes against her husband and in-laws. Indian society do not accept her as ”sanskari”. Women need to understand that they can say NO for any reason : whether it be her periods or illness or it’s just that she don’t want to have sex. Also Indian laws need to understand the sensitivity of the concept. It should be put in as a criminal act. It can save many wives from becoming a victim of marital rape, whether she be a working woman or a home-maker.
MARRIAGE IS NOT A LICENSE TO SEX OR RIGHT ON FEMALE BODY.