Must Read | Say “NO” To Rape 

–Japan Michaelz

Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without that person’s consent or will. The act may be carried out by physical force, abuse of authority, or against a person who is incapable of giving valid consent, such as one who is unconscious, has an intellectual disability or is below the legal age (minor). The term rape is also called sexual assault.

Worldwide, sexual violence, including rape, is usually committed by males against females. Rape by strangers is usually common than rape by people the victim knows, male-on-male and female-on-female. prison rapes are common too.

Widespread and systematic rape (e.g., war rape) and sexual slavery can occur during international conflict. These practices are crimes against humanity and war crimes. Rape is also recognized as an element of the crime of genocide when committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a targeted ethnic group.

People who have been raped can be traumatized and develop posttraumatic stress disorder. Serious injuries can result along with the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. A person may face violence or threats from the rapist, and, in some cultures, from the victim’s family and relatives too.

Rapists have all sorts of excuses and justifications for their acts. Rapes are committed by religious leaders, teachers, guardians, father, brother, relatives, neighbours, friends, acquaintances or even strangers. In this gendered world, rape is a stigmatized crime wherein the victim would be blamed instead of the accused. It is also very easy to put the blame on the woman for bringing out the breast to a man. There is a justification that she should be punished for arousing him. Afterall if there were no women, who would men rape?

One important issue raised time and again is related to the size of a woman’s dress. Do the dresses provoke? We have instances where men sexually abuse animals. Should we clothe animals too? Another reason is makeup. Rapists allege that women apply heavy makeup especially lipstick to lure men. How do you explain rape on minors, infants, old and aged women, women suffering from unsoundness of mind, women in comma or those hospitalized with severe ailments? What could they have done to catch a rapist’s fancy? Earlier men kept sex slaves, now they hire escort girls. Prostitution is the world’s oldest profession. Sugar daddies- Wife swapping is a notorious fact that most men rape their daughters, sisters and sometimes even mothers. What causes such extreme depravity? Could it be he is nyphoniac ( obsession for sex) or the devil’s work?

Another reason is the desire to control. Rape is a power crime. This are common in celebrities, especially among actors and sportspersons. Their popularity among females causes them to mistake themselves as ‘gods’ whom women are dying to please in bed. Men like to boast about their sexual encounters. Sex requires a man to be aggressive, he feels superior and in control and assert power. Rapes are committed with impunity during wars. Husbands rape their wives and seek to justify it as a means of punishment to her or to put her in her place or simply to vent out their frustrations. Suitors, lovers and all those who believe the woman to be theirs cannot take no for an answer and force sex to punish or avenge. People rape their girlfriends, life partners, friends and acquaintances.Men are scared of a woman’s sexuality, so that needs to be suppressed. Even dead women in the morgues are not spared by rapists.

If a lady says ‘No’ she would be taken by force; most men spikes a lady’s drink so they could take advantage of them while in their drunken state.They forced sex but refuse to accept it as an act of rape. Then, there are date rapes. Lack of safety measures also plays a part. In villages, women have to venture out at night as there are no toilet facilities at home. This puts them at risk.

Another reason is the lack of sex education. Adolescent boys have an urge to explore. lack of accessibility and interaction with people of the opposite sex play on minds fed with easy access to porn. Also, the use vulgar lyrics in songs needs to be curbed. This causes women to be viewed as commodities, meant to be consumed and ravished. Sexually obsessed rapists don’t consider women as human beings but as an object that can be violated.

Education, gender sensitization and legal awareness should be carried out to control rapes. We need better policing and CCTV mapping of desolate areas. Also, behavioural and emotional intelligence is very different from academic intelligence. We need to question the accused and not the victim, the time of rape or the dress she wore. Society needs to stigmatize the accused instead of the victim.
A 22-year-old lady, identified as Uwaila Omozuwa, has died at the Uniben teaching hospital, Edo State, after she was beaten and raped inside her local church. It was gathered that Uwaila, who was an 100-level Microbiology student of UNIBEN, goes to read everyday at a church but was unfortunately beaten, raped and hit with a fire extinguisher by unknown men.

Rape is a very serious issues and has destroyed the lives of most individuals in our society. The issue of rape should not be taken for granted because it has caused more harm than good from all angles. this crime is rightly classified as the ‘worst crime against womanhood’.