{"id":110736,"date":"2024-05-28T20:38:16","date_gmt":"2024-05-28T15:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=editorial-analysis&#038;p=110736"},"modified":"2024-05-29T16:43:37","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T11:13:37","slug":"marital-rape-in-india","status":"publish","type":"editorial-analysis","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/marital-rape-in-india","title":{"rendered":"Marital Rape Is Antithetical To Equality And Autonomy"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Context<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, the\u00a0 <\/span><b>Madhya Pradesh high court in Manish Sahu vs State of Madhya Pradesh<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> held that any sexual intercourse or sexual act by the husband with his wife <\/span><b>not below the age of 15 years is not a rape.<\/b><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.502%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Relevance For Prelims: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/criminalisation-of-marital-rape\/\">Criminalisation Of Marital Rape<\/a>, Section 375 Indian Penal Code, <a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/mtp-act\/\">Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act<\/a>, Section 498-A of Indian Penal Code.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Relevance For Mains:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Arguments Against and for in Criminalizing Marital rape in India.<\/span><\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>About Marital Rape<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marital Rape or <strong>s<\/strong><\/span><b>pousal rape refers to engaging in sexual intercours<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">e with one\u2019s spouse without their consent.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Legal Status in India: I<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">n India, there are no legal provisions that explicitly address \u201cmarital rape\u201d.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India is among the<\/span><b> 36 countries worldwide where marital rape remains<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> unrecognized as a criminal offense.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Status of Marital Rape in India<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Provision of Rape in Indian Penal Code: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">S<\/span><b>ection 375 of the Indian Penal Code <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">delineates rape as a criminal act, stipulating that a man is guilty of rape <\/span><b>if he engages in sexual intercourse <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with a woman without <\/span><b>her consent or if she is a minor.<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nonetheless,<\/span><b> Exception 2 to Section 375 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">states that sexual intercourse by a man with his wife, provided she is no<\/span><b>t under fifteen years of age, does not constitute rape.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Supreme Court Ruling : <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a significant 2018 ruling, the Supreme Court of India determined that sexual intercourse with a<\/span><b> wife aged between 15 and 18 would be classified as rape.<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>In September 2022, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a landmark judgment by the Supreme Court affirmed women\u2019s entitlement to <\/span><b>safe abortions irrespective of marital status.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It determined that, under the <\/span><b>Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, t<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">he definition of rape should encompass marital rape.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Legal Recourse for Marital Rape:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> For married women, the only legal recourse against non-consensual sex lies in civil provisions outlined in the <\/span><b>Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> o<\/span><b>r Section 498-A of the IPC, w<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hich addresses cruelty against a wife by her husband or his relatives.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Marital Rape Provisions Around the World<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Russia : I<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">n 1922, the <\/span><b>Soviet Union, now Russia, b<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ecame the first nation to criminalize rape and abolish the \u201c<\/span><b>marital exemption\u201d from its rape laws.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Countries that Have Criminalized Marital Rape:<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>United States: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since 1993,<\/span><b> marital rape has been criminalized in all 50 states<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the US, although laws vary by state.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>United Kingdom: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marital rape has also<\/span><b> been made a criminal offense in the UK,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with potential sentences<\/span><b> including life imprisonment.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>South Africa: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marital rape has been<\/span><b> illegal in South Africa since 1993.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Canada<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Marital rape is punishable by law in Canada.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Arguments For Criminalizing Marital Rape<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A marriage should not be viewed as a license for a husband to forcibly rape his wife with impunity.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The doctrine of Coverture:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The marital exception to the<\/span><b> IPC&#8217;s definition of rape was drafted <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">based on<\/span><b> Victorian patriarchal norms th<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">at did not recognize men and women as equals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It did not allow<\/span><b> married women to own property, and merged the identities o<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">f husband and wife under the <\/span><b>&#8220;Doctrine of Coverture.&#8221;<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Article 14:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Indian women deserve to be treated equally under article 14 and an individual&#8217;s human rights d<\/span><b>o not deserve to be ignored by anyone,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> including by their spouse.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Further, a married woman has the<\/span><b> same right to control her own body<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as does an unmarried woman.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Bodily Integrity is intrinsic to Article 21<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: A woman is <\/span><b>entitled to refuse sexual relation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s with her husband as the right to bodily integrity and privacy is an<\/span><b> intrinsic part of Article 21 o<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">f the Constitution.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supreme Court has included sanctity of women, and freedom to make choices related to sexual activity under the a<\/span><b>mbit of Article 21<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Rape not ground for Divorce; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marital rape is not a ground for a diverse in any personal laws and even the S<\/span><b>pecial Marriage Act, 1954, It<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> cannot be used as a ground for<\/span><b> divorce and cruelty against the husband<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus, the women remain helpless and keep suffering in silence.<\/span><b> Rape is rape, i<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">rrespective of the <\/span><b>identity of the perpetrator,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the age of the survivor.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A woman who is raped by a<\/span><b> stranger lives with a memory of a horrible attack<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">; a woman who is raped by her husban<\/span><b>d lives with her rapist throughout her life<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Criminalizing marital rape: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will ensure that wome<\/span><b>n remans safer from abusive spouses <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and they can recelve the help needed to<\/span><b> recover from marital rape <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and can save themselves from <\/span><b>domestic violence and sexual abuse<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Much of the developed world has criminalized It. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The even <\/span><b>United Kingdom<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, whose common law was followed by India, <\/span><b>made marital rape a criminal offence in 1991,<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The JS\u00a0 Verma committee <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">set up in the Nirbhaya gang-rape case and th<\/span><b>e UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 2013 had recommended that the Indian government should<\/span><b> criminalize marital rape.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Marital Rape Status in India<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Implementation issues:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Criminalizing marital rape will<\/span><b> create serious implementational issues<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> like<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If all sexual acts by a man with his wife will qualify to be marital rape, then the judgment as to whether it is a <\/span><b>marital rape or not will singularly rest with t<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">he wife who cannot always be trusted.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What evidences the courts will rely upon in such circumstances, as there can b<\/span><b>e no lasting evidence in case of sexual acts <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">between a man and his wife.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc\/pw-only-ias?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Arguments Against Criminalizing Marital Rape in India<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>\u00a0Destabilize marriage as an institution: I<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">t may create a<\/span>bsolutely<b> anarchy in families<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> destabilizing th<\/span><b>e institution of marriage and thereby destroying the family platform <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which upholds family values and helps in sustaining the country.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian society believe<\/span><b>s that marriage is a sacrament<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Misuse of law: I<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">t may become an easy tool for harassing the husbands by misusing the law similar to the growing<\/span><b> misuse of section 498A (harassment caused to a married woman by h<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">er husband and in-laws) of the IPC.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Awareness is more important: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Merely criminalizing marital rape may not stop it as <\/span><b>\u201cmoral and social awareness\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> plays a vital role in stopping such an act.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Diversity in Cultures of the states: I<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ndia has its unique problems due to various factors like literacy, lack of financial empowerment of the majority of females, the mindset of the society, vast diversity, poverty, etc. and these should be considered carefully before criminalizing marital rape.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, criminal law is in t<\/span><b>he Concurrent List and implemented by the states <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and there is a vast diversity in the cultures of these states<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Law Commission has not recommended: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian Law Commission and the Parliamentary <\/span><b>Standing Committee on Home Affairs after thoroughly examining the<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> matter did not recommend the criminalization of marital rape.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Laws are essential to <\/span><b>delineate boundaries in <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">our interactions, <\/span><b>ensuring the preservation of constitutional principles<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> like <\/span><b>equality, dignity, and bodily autonomy. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, it&#8217;s crucial to acknowledge the stark social realities that often <\/span><b>limit their effective implementation in practice.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><b>UPSC Mains Practice Question: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mains-answer-writing\/examine-the-challenges-faced-by-survivors-of-marital-rape-in-india-considering-patriarchal-attitudes-societal-stigma-and-legal-recourse-evaluate-the-adequacy-of-existing-laws-and-support-systems-i-2\/\">Examine the challenges faced by survivors of marital rape in India, considering patriarchal attitudes, societal stigma, and legal recourse. Evaluate the adequacy of existing laws and support systems in protecting married women&#8217;s rights and suggest reforms to create a supportive environment for survivors. (15 Marks, 250 Words)<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.22%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 36px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 5697.5%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 36px;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Must Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 30px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 54.4983%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/ncert-notes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NCERT Notes For UPSC<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 5643%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/daily-current-affairs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UPSC Daily Current Affairs<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 30px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 54.4983%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/blogs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UPSC Blogs<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 5643%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UPSC Daily Editorials<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 30px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 54.4983%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/quiz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Daily Current Affairs Quiz<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 5643%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mains-answer-writing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Daily Main Answer Writing<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 30px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 54.4983%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mains-previous-year-papers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UPSC Mains Previous Year Papers<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 5643%; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; height: 30px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-test-series-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UPSC Test Series 2024<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Context Recently, the\u00a0 Madhya Pradesh high court in Manish Sahu vs State of Madhya Pradesh held that any sexual intercourse or sexual act by the husband with his wife not below the age of 15 years is not a rape. Relevance For Prelims: Criminalisation Of Marital Rape, Section 375 Indian Penal Code, Medical Termination of&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/marital-rape-in-india\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Marital Rape Is Antithetical To Equality And Autonomy<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":110910,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"paper-wise":[],"subject":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/editorial-analysis\/110736"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/editorial-analysis"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/editorial-analysis"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110736"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/editorial-analysis\/110736\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110788,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/editorial-analysis\/110736\/revisions\/110788"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110736"},{"taxonomy":"paper-wise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper-wise?post=110736"},{"taxonomy":"subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject?post=110736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}