From video games developed where players can “play” at raping women, to advertisements that sexualise women’s bodies, men’s entitlement to women is just a given.
Many Renaissance-era masterworks depicted rape and sexual assault as erotic. Beginning in the 1970s, artists worked to redefine rape as a crime of aggression and act of female subjugation.
Sen. Martha McSally has broken gender barriers right and left. Despite the power she amassed over a career of firsts, she felt ‘powerless’ when raped. She’s not the only woman to feel that way.
Dyah Ayu Kartika, Pusat Studi Agama dan Demokrasi (PUSAD) Paramadina
A combination of a deep-rooted patriarchal culture, conservative religious values and gender-insensitive law enforcement practices still deters Indonesian women from reporting rape.
Women in countries such as India, Pakistan and others have long organized campaigns against sexual violence – many of which have resulted in stronger laws in these countries.
A new Canadian law introduced as a nod to #MeToo, meant to protect sexual assault complainants, will have limited impact because it fails to consider how sexist judges and lawyers interpret laws.
In Myanmar, spousal abuse is legal and stigma stop most women from reporting sexual violence. A bill championed by feminists but long stalled in Parliament may soon give women their basic rights.