Criminalize Marital Rape In India

  • by: Audry M
  • recipient: Government of India
Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code could be considered a rapists best legal tool to escape conviction in India.

That's because — according to an analysis by the Research Institute for Compassionate Economics — 98 percent of women who were raped in India were raped by their husbands. Yet, despite this horrifying statistic, section 375 carves out a legal loophole for these rapists to avoid punishment since it specifically states that a man cannot rape his wife, even if he engages in sexual intercourse with her without her consent.

Women's rights activists are trying to change that. Arguing that a woman's right to choose whether or not she would like to have sex is solely hers. And telling The Delhi High Court that more than 50 other nations have criminalized the practice.

What has the government said in response? In an almost unbelievable rebuttal, they contend that: "The fact that other countries, mostly Western, have criminalized marital rape does not necessarily mean India should also follow them blindly," and that criminalizing marital rape "may destabilize the institution of marriage."

These excuses are both retrograde and dangerous. The Indian government needs to protect the rights of women to say no, even if it is to their husband.

Sign the petition and ask the Indian government to do what's right and criminalize marital rape.
Sign Petition
Sign Petition
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.

Privacy Policy

By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.

Having problems signing this? Let us know.