Women’s empowerment is based on three pillars — of equality, dignity and safety, and moving away from prejudices and stereotypes women have fallen victim to for millennia. If there is to be any change, there must be a shift in mindset from the lowest level. There is overwhelming evidence that >marital rape is the most common form of sexual violence in India . >Data from the National Family Health Survey shows that not even one per cent of such cases is reported.
Ankit Garg,
Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh
It is ironic that while the Indian woman has protection against domestic violence in the form of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 there is no such provision against marital rape. The solution does not lie in merely criminalising marital rape under Section 376 of the IPC. Whether that happens or not, the first thing that should be made explicitly clear is that both Section 498 and the Domestic Violence Act 2005 provide protection to women against all forms of violence including sexual. In the end, no law can be effective unless there is a realisation in society of the need for equality and justice.
Prerna Sethi,
New Delhi
In a patriarchal and misogynistic society, a married woman is expected to concur to all the demands made by her husband. According to Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code which deals with rape, there is no relief for a raped married woman, because according to the policymakers, the act is absolutely fine as long as the person who does it is her husband. What kind of law is this?
According to me, a husband who forces his wife to do this without her consent is a rapist in the technical sense but gets away scot-free in the name of culture. A woman who experiences mental and physical anguish as a result is also being subjected to a form of domestic violence.
Shubham Mathur,
Chandigarh
It is regrettable that there are those who are determined to paint most Indian men as misogynists. There is no consent involved in marital relations but only affectionate assent to join a blissful journey. What is the law that can be enacted to prevent so-called marital rape? Do you want women to rush to the nearest police station early in the morning to register a complaint? Leave married couples alone. They know how to get on in life without the help of “new laws” on the subject.
M. Ramankutty,
Tripunithura, Kerala
