Yes, the marital rape debate again. Unfortunately for some men (and "Indian culture" apparently), people just won't shut up about it. Quite sad for the poor, innocent men who are being dragged through the mud for claiming what is rightfully theirs by virtue of marriage of course – their wives’ bodies!
Sarcasm aside, if you feel like there’s nothing sexist or misogynistic that could shock you any more by this point, you’re in for a surprise.
On Saturday, ScoopWhoop posted a video on Facebook where they asked men in Delhi what they thought about marital rape and whether it exists.
The format of the video is light-hearted (thank goodness), because what the men in the video say will make your ears bleed. Samdish Bhatia, the anchor, goes around what seems like a park, and asks men what they think about marital rape.
The answers range from outright dismissal because “marital rape is not a part of Indian culture”, to indignation (“if he can’t do it with his wife, who, then?”), and entitlement (“what rape is she talking about? He’s your husband, he has full right over you!”).
These are the nicer answers of the lot. The laughing, chortling, and sometimes angry men (because how DARE married women say their husband’s raped them?) offer insights into just how enlightened they are about sexual consent in marriage… not.
What’s most interesting (and alarming) about these responses is that these men are completely convinced that they are right.
Some speak with pride about beating their wives, even saying that only “sexually unsatisfied” women cry rape because those whose legs are broken after rough sex wouldn’t be able to walk to the police. Others say that there’s no consent required in sex at all. Another equates rape (whether of wife or another woman) with "manliness".
The few women who speak in the video do point out why rape is rape, even if it happens within marriage - but well, who is listening? Not the men in their immediate vicinity, going by the video.
What’s comical, and also disturbing, is that these men would rather have an app called Public Database of Affection (a made up concept by Samdish) to negotiate sexual consent between a married couple than a man simply asking his wife.