Sexual abuse in women and Anti Rape bill: Lesson to learn from success and failure

The recent rape case was an eye opener for whole world specially India. Of late, we have psychiatrically assessed 3 rape cases in Wardha District and assisted the police department for charging the accused. This made us to discuss the issue in length. Women have been psychologically conditioned to believe in what society has defined as their own promiscuity. Women have been led to believe for long that they have an uncontrollable sexuality which victimizes men and make females innately promiscuous (remember the typical reaction, “she should not have worn such a provocative dress or why did she take a private bus at night?”) a myth that we must believe at the same time that we believe all women are frigid. There is reason to believe that rape is encultured. In the Upanishad scripture (advocating rape): “Surely, a woman who has changed her clothes at the end of her menstrual period is the most auspicious of women. When she has changed her clothes at the end of her menstrual period, therefore, one should approach that splendid woman and invite her to have sex. Should she refuse to consent, he should bribe her. If she still refuses, he should beat her with a stick or with his fists and overpower her, saying: “I take away the splendor from you with my virility and splendor”.