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AGAINST the backdrop of brutal violence against women, Presbyterian Moderator the Rev Joy Abdul-Mohan has called for the implementation of the criminalisation of marital rape.
She said it is an issue many women face, but is not spoken about because of the belief that husbands have total right to their wife’s body.
“It is law, just like hanging. It is legislated in the Sexual Offences Act, but it is not treated as seriously as rape outside of marriage.”
Rape within marriage was made a criminal offence by the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act, 2000. Abdul-Mohan said the act covers married women and those involved in common-law relationships, but warned that it is a double-edged sword.
“There is danger in that women who defy their husbands or partners could end up dead or deprived of economic benefits for themselves or their children."
Speaking to the Newsday on International Women’s Day, Abdul-Mohan, who is studying law, said rape in marriages and common-law relationships often leads to unwanted pregnancies and abortion.
She said what is even more sad is that women who muster the courage to report rape by their husbands are told by police officers, “That is you husband. Go home, forget it,” and their reports are not taken.
“So you see the situation women are in: they are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.”
In a message commemorating IWD, Abdul-Mohan said in the last two decades, regions of the Caribbean have witnessed new levels of violence, which have heightened the vulnerability of women and caused terrible suffering in the home and society.
Saying she feels she is just repeating herself every time another woman is murdered, she said the situation demands challenging stereotypes, fighting biases, broadening perceptions and creating or changing legislation to protect women.
“The violence meted out against women has underscored the character of brutality that has evolved into our society." she said, condemning "the callous and carefree tone of abuse," and warning, "Violence and crime of all forms seem to be overwhelming our country.”
Women are abused physically, sexually and mentally, she said. "They are disenfranchised and marginalised. Battered and abused women are isolated from nurturing, supportive communities in order to exercise greater control over them.”
She lamented the poor social skills of Caribbean men who resort to violence as some women take steps towards liberation.
She observed that many rape victims in the Caribbean know the identities of their attackers, further evidence that some men were not taught the meaning of "no" and some women do not own or control their own bodies.
“The failure to criminalise marital rape has been a major issue facing women. Victims of sexual violence can expect years of traumatic court appearances and delays with no guarantee of justice prevailing.”
She said the attention given to the treatment of sexual offenders, whilst a valid human-rights concern, speaks to the male bias in the legal system and in the cultural norms which underpin that bias.
“Over the years the home and society seem to be growing accustomed to despicable acts of heinous and murderous violence against women. “
She said successive governments have tried to beat this criminal assault, but even legal reforms are limited by cultural norms and social attitudes which themselves support gender biases.
“These biases find expression in inefficient investigation practices on the part of the police and insensitive treatment of the victim in the courtroom.
“It may be human nature to assimilate violence and move on, but the home or society should never allow itself to reach a point where it has been desensitised or made immune to the shock of the grievous assaults against women."
She said the arts, where some ballads/songs and calypsoes, she charged, are politically incorrect and downright criminal, are called to name and shame the violence against women.
“We must not and dare not surrender to violence, or else it shall be contributing to the view that life is as cheap as it is expendable. We must choose to challenge each other and the decision-makers that human life is priceless and must continue to uphold this, even in the face of the most obscene assaults on our sense of values.”
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