A powerful new campaign is demanding worldwide action to end the “right to rape”.
Trigger warning: This post deals with rape and domestic violence and may be triggering for survivors of abuse.
In 73 per cent of countries worldwide men are not explicitly outlawed from raping their wives.
That’s 142 countries out of 196 that believe rape cannot occur within a marriage — because they deem that within marriage, consent can be assumed.
That leaves 2.6 billion women at risk. Women who are vulnerable to violent marriages where their spouse forces them to engage in sex acts without their approval.
In the lead-up to International Women’s Day on 8th March, the International Women’s Development Agency is asking the public to sign a petition demanding immediate action and” tell the world that no man has the right to rape.”
The campaign covers marital rape, but it’s also shining a light on soldiers’ use of rape in conflict-affected areas of the world.
In an effort to illustrate this brutal reality, the campaign has shared three distressing stories of women and girls whose perpetrators — Burmese soldiers — clearly felt they had a ‘right to rape’.
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I am not in any way challenging the veracity of the statement but I would very much like to see which countries are involved (and which are not). One might then see patterns that explain this terrible legal situation in the 142 countries. Anyone have any authoritative links?
In 73 per cent of countries worldwide men and women are not explicitly outlawed from raping their spouse.
That’s 142 countries out of 196 that believe rape cannot occur within a marriage — because they deem that within marriage, consent can be assumed.
That leaves 5.2 billion people at risk. People who are vulnerable to violent marriages where their spouse forces them to engage in sex acts without their approval.