On Rape Culture

November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Call it out when you see it:

❌Abuse
❌Catcalling
❌Sexist jokes
❌Unwelcome behaviour
❌Inappropriate sexual comments

Violence against women comes in many forms, and one of the most widespread yet less talked about is sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment is never okay. Regardless of the circumstances. When one is raped; she is raped, no other word to say it. No other explaination why it happened. And I don’t understand how other people could even afford to blame the victim for being raped.

Our society has come up with reasons why some women are raped. And sadly the “rape culture” is being normalized these days.

Rape Culture is an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture. As if these are not enough; rape culture affects everywoman.

The rape of just one woman creates terror and fear to all women. Most women and girls limit their behavior because of the existence of rape. Men, in general, do not. That’s how rape functions as a powerful means by which the whole female population is held in a subordinate position to the whole male population, even though many men don’t rape, and many women are never victims of rape.  This cycle of fear is the legacy of Rape Culture.

Blantant Examples of Rape Culture

• Victim Blaming (“It’s her fault; she asked for it!”)

• Normalizing sexual assault (“Boys will be boys; it has always been like that”)

• Making/laughing/enjoying sexually explicit jokes

• Publicly scrutinizing a victim’s dress, mental state, motives, and history

• Abuse and violence in movies and television

• Defining “manhood” as dominant and sexually aggressive

• Defining “womanhood” as submissive and sexually passive

• Assuming only promiscuous women get raped

• Refusing to take rape accusations seriously

• Teaching women to avoid getting raped instead of teaching men not to rape

• Not reporting or talking about being raped to protect the credibility and sanity of the vicrim’s family

• The victim chosing to keep her silence; because why not? She will become easy target of victim blaming and shaming by the society.

Regardless of the woman’s circumstances, characteristics, mental state, history or background; the moment she said “no” to any sexual advances – rape is happening.

Rape is rape and there is no better way to justify it.

Instead of teaching our young girls and women to dress appropriately, avoid men, be alert to possible sexual harassment; why don’t we teach men and young boys NEVER TO RAPE regardless of.

It’s about time to teach MEN and BOYS never to rape.

Most rape victims never get the chance to report/talk about it for a very simple reason that; OUR SOCIETY WAS NEVER KIND TO ANY WOMAN SPEAKING HER TRUTH. Maybe it’s time we change that. Stop victim blaming. Stop victim shaming. When rape happens there are only two people who can tell their truths; the victim and the perpetrator, aside from them no one, NO ONE; thus no one has the right to shame or blame the victim as if they were present when it happened.

#16DaysOfActivismAgainstGenderBasedViolence 

P. S.

When I saw Sadje’s Photo Prompt, I immediately thought of the sad and prevailing rape culture in our society.

https://lifeafter50forwomen.com/2022/11/28/what-do-you-see-162-november-28-2022/