According to the NFHS-5 survey, about 18% of married women said that they cannot say ‘no’ to their husbands even if they do not want to have sex.
According to the NFHS-5 survey, about 18% of married women said that they cannot say ‘no’ to their husbands even if they do not want to have sex.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday divided verdict On the question of criminalizing marital rape. Justice Rajiv Shakdher, who headed the bench, observed that the right to withdraw consent (for sex) is at the core of a woman’s right to life and liberty. Justice C. Hari Shankar disagreed that consent mattered and marriage changed nothing. He said that marriage is accompanied by obligations that the partners have to bear, including the marital expectations. data from NFHS-5(2019-21)* shows that over 95% of married women in India who have endured sexual violence identify their husband/ex-husband as the perpetrator. Worryingly, more than 90% of those who suffered sexual violence did not seek help from anyone. None of those who did so approached any lawyer for legal recourse. More than 70% took help from their family or husband’s family. About 18% of married women said that they cannot say ‘no’ to their husbands, even if they do not want to have sex. About 20% of husbands said they would be angry and reprimand their wives for refusing to have sex, while about 13% said they would refuse financial support. Given that only 27% of married women are employed as compared to 92% of married men, such threats compel women to endure violence
source of crime
The tree map shows the percentage of married women in India who identified the following persons as those who forced them to have sex for the first time or perform any other sexual act.
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source of help
Only 9.5% of women in India who have experienced sexual violence have sought help. Tree map depicting people they approached for help
financial dependence
Only 27% of married women were employed as compared to 92% of married men. Even the majority of working women earned less than men
sexual coercion
More than 18% of married women said that they cannot refuse sex to their husbands. About 20% of men said they would be angry if their wives refused sex to them, and about 13% said they would refuse financial support or use force to have sex.
Source: National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21)
Read also: The Importance of Consent: On Marital Rape