Feminist Politics and Human Nature - Research Paper Example

?Introduction The World Health Organization (WHO, 2003) identifies rape as one of the most dominant form of sexual abuse in the world currently. There are various definitions of rape, but generally, it entails forced sexual penetration of the vulva or the anus using a penis. From this definition, it is apparent that rape affects both males and females, but Dena (2011) notes that it is mainly perpetrated by men and boys against women and girls. Rape is universally recognized as an immoral action, but the widespread practice of the vice in the world demonstrates how it is misconceived and even legitimized. To address the problem of rape in society, it is important to understand the cause in order to device effective legal and social preventive mechanisms. Rape in contemporary society Sexually explicit media programs, such as pornographic materials have been attributed to promoting rape in society. Currently, the media is saturated with objectionable sexual programs and advancement in information technology has enhanced the availability the content to many people, including young children. This has resulted to sanctioning of the programs to prevent the minors from being sexually influenced by the content. The relationship between watching pornographic content and rape is debatable and many research studies have been undertaken to establish the association. However WHO (2003) indentifies individual, relationship, community and societal factors as the major determinants that influence men’s attitude to commit rape. The high prevalence of rape in poor and politically unstable countries disapproves the assertion that pornographic content encourages rape. Feminists consider rape as a form of violence intended to assert the authority of men over women in the contemporary society (Kerns, 2001). Rape has been recorded in various contexts, which can be classified in two categories depending on the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator. These categories include rape by a stranger and a person closely associated with the victim (Allison 1988). From these contexts, rape has been reported in marriages, dating couples and between complete strangers. WHO(2003) lists several factors that increase the vulnerability of women to rape These include being married or in sexual relationship with men, drug abuse, being too young to make informed sexual decision, poverty, involvement with multiple sexual partners and commercial sex in addition to high level of education. Other factors include wearing sexually suggestive clothing. From these factors, it is apparent that rape is primarily aggravated by the behavior and actions of the perpetrator rather than the victim. Feminists disapprove sexual passion as the motivation for rape, but a combination of factors that undermine the psyche of men. This includes reduced income and disempowerment of men. WHO (2003) notes that highly educated women with higher incomes are at high risk of being raped by their male partners especially those with lower education and income. In addition, higher rape incidents occur in regions with low incomes than in affluent regions (WHO, 2003). High incidents of rape have been reported in countries affected by civil strive and political instability especially in Africa. Some of the countries include Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. In these incidences, rape is used as a war strategy to break or undermine the social cohesion in the societies with the intention of weakening the enemy. In some countries such as East Timor, rape was used as a tool of ethnic cleansing (WHO, 2003) Prevention of rape globally Currently various rape deterrent measures have been implemented to protect women from potential rapists and to punish rape offenders. They include imprisonment of rape offenders and instituting programs to empower rape victims and the society about the adverse effects of rape. The programs offer supportive and psychological care to rape victims, and others are specially designed to guide and inform rape perpetrators while they are undergoing rehabilitation in corrective centers and in prison. Offering psychological and medical support to the victims is important in assisting the victim to overcome the trauma after the assault (Elizabeth, 2003). According to WHO (2003), administration of a brief cognitive –behavioral session improves the capacity of a rape victim to overcome the psychological trauma that occurs after sexual assault. In addition, supportive medical care such as offering prophylaxis for HIV infections protects the rape victim from being infected by the disease. Rape exposes victims to psychological and physical problems that present significant threat to their health and wellbeing. Psychologically, rape victims sometimes blame themselves for being raped and this is prevents them from reporting the crime and accessing psychological and medical care (WHO 2003). According to Kerns (2001), rape is one of the most degrading forms of abuse and it lowers self-esteem of the affected persons tremendously. Consequently, most rape victims develop emotional disturbances, mental problems such as depression, and recurring thoughts of helplessness that could lead to suicide. According to WHO (2003), women exposed to sexual assault in childhood and adulthood are more likely to commit suicide than those who have never had such experiences. In addition, rape exposes the victim to the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS (WHO, 2003). Different communities respond differently to rape depending on how they view female sexuality. In most western cultures, women are nurtured to appreciate their sexuality. This is reflected in their mode of dressing that is strategically designed to expose their feminine features (Kerns, 2001). In most African societies, sexuality in women is not highly regarded because women are considered as the property of men. Similarly, most Islamic communities are highly conservative and women are not supposed to expose their bodies or behave in manner that could attract sexual attention from the public (WHO, 2003). Both African and Islamic cultures are patriarchal while the western culture is liberal and more democratic as far as sexuality is concerned. These societies respond to rape differently. In most African and Islamic communities, rape is viewed as a disgrace to the man and his family. In some Islamic societies, victims of rape, especially women are killed to restore family’s honor, while the perpetrator is not apprehended. In other African communities, raped women are forcefully married to their aggressors (WHO, 2003). This attitude is based on faulty assumption that the victim (woman) is to blame for being raped. Western culture considers rape as a crime against humanity. Convicted rapists are punished according to the stipulated law and the victims provided with necessary medical and psychological care (WHO, 2003). Empowering women and other potential rape victims with self-defense techniques is an effective method of overcoming rapists. According to Allison (1988), most rapists rely on physical strength and relative seclusion of the victim to execute their mission. Training women on martial arts impart them with self-defense techniques. In addition, women are taught to be sexually assertive and avoid walking alone at night and in dark secluded regions. Although self-defense techniques are highly effective in confronting unfamiliar rapists, Dena (2011) argues that it is not as effective in married, dating or cohabiting couples. Various rape defense tools have been manufactured to protect women from serial rapists, but the problem persists in the society. Feminists argue that in spite of implementing these strategies, women still walk in fear of being raped because it happens in different contexts. Conclusion It is important to instigate effective strategies that are compatible with the changing rape threats in the society. Dena (2011) proposes several strategies of empowering women against rapists. They include improving their access to education, employment opportunities, promoting equality in marriage contracts, ownership of property, and providing equal rights to all children regardless of their gender. In addition, women according to Dena (2011) should be provided with voting rights in order to promote their active participation in national issues, including those related to reproductive and sexual health. Providing access to legal family planning facilities is another tactic of empowering women against rapists. These facilities include easy access to contraceptives and abortion services to terminate pregnancies that might occur after being raped. In addition, increasing gender awareness and promoting extensive denunciation of sexual assault in the society are effective methods of combating the dynamic face of rape in the contemporary society (Dena 2011). References Allison, J. (1988). Feminist politics and human nature. New York: Rowman and Little Field publishers. Dena, R.(2011). Turning feminist theory into visceral rape deterrent. The Boston Phoenix. Accessed on September 4, 2011 from http://thephoenix.com/boston/news/119728-turning-feminist-theory-into-a- visceral-rape-deter/? page=2#TOPCONTENT Elizabeth, k.(2003). Feminist responses to the politics of rape: Identifying the women’s perspective. Chrestomathy, 2: pp 135-162. Kerns, L.(2001). A feminist perspective: Why feminists should give reasonable woman standard another chance. Columbia journal of gender and law, 10(2): 198-227. WHO. (2003). Sexual violence. Accessed on September 4, 2011 from http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2002/9241545615_chap6_eng.pdf Read More