‘Marry Your Rapist’ law still prevalent in 20 countries

In News

According to the UN’s annual state of world population report, there are twenty countries that still allow the rapists to marry the victims to escape prosecution.

About

Russia, Thailand and Venezuela are few of the countries that allow men to escape prosecution if they marry the victim women or girl assaulted.

UN considers these laws to be “deeply wrong” and was “a way of subjugating women”. Under this law the burden of guilt goes on the victim.

Morocco, Jordon, Palestine, Lebanon and Tunisia have repealed the law.

However, Kuwait, Russia and Thailand are few other countries where perpetrators are exempted from punishment if he marries the victim.

UNFPA also reported that 43 countries have no legislation criminalizing marital rape.

The report has main focus on bodily autonomy – the capacity to make choices about your body free from violence or coercion – spotlighted that nearly half of women in 57 countries are refused the right to say yes or no to sex with their partner, use contraception or seek healthcare.

The situation in Mali, Senegal and Niger is even worse where less than one in ten women make their own decisions about healthcare, contraception and sex with their partners.

More than 30 countries regulate women’s freedom outside the home, while girls and boys with disabilities are nearly three times more expected to be subjected to sexual violence, with girls at the greatest risk.

This report said that Education is solution to improve the bodily autonomy and laws must be amended, and social norms must become more gender balanced. Health providers can also play a critical role in filling up the gender gap.