Rape is all about power

INDIA
Matters India

July 22, 2018

By Virginia Saldanha

The revelation that 110,333 cases of rape were registered in the country from 2014 to 2016, and 338,954 cases of crime against women were registered in 2016, by federal Minister Kiren Rijiju, does not come as a surprise. In fact, we should remember that these statistics are based only on reported cases and not on total incidents of rape and violence to women actually taking place.

The threat of rape and violence is a reality that Indian women live with. The threat becomes acuter in direct proportion to a woman’s social status and/or vulnerability, a poor Dalit girl/woman being the most vulnerable. Age has not been a bar for vulnerability to rape. Babies of a few months to an old woman in her 90s have been victims of rape in India.

Rape is forced sexual intercourse. Indian law amended in 2013 describes rape as penile and non-penile penetration of a woman’s orifices. So, it is clear that rape is not about anyone enjoying sex. Rape is not about sex! It is about power. Unless we address the issue of power, we will not be able to protect women/girls from rape.

Rape takes place when the perpetrator is sure of his power to force his victim to yield to him. Most rapists generally and literally ‘get away’ with their crime, because of their power to silence the victim.

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