(This story was first published on 8 May 2020. It has been republished from The Quint’s archives in light of the Supreme Court asking a rape accused if he will marry the survivor.)
Every time an act of sexual violence comes to the notice of the public, the question that is probably not asked enough – why do we find ourselves here again? Why are acts of sexual violence, rape against the vulnerable – women and men and those who identify as non-binary – so common, that they are almost normal? It is because we live in an environment that allows this to be normal. Taking the example of just women and the violence they face, we break down rape culture and how it builds to form a pyramid of sexual harassment and violence.
WHAT IS RAPE CULTURE?
It is an environment in which rape is prevalent and sexual violence is normalised because of the existing societal prejudices and attitudes towards gender and sexuality.