Marital Rape
15th October, 2013
Marital Rape
Marital rape is a neglected topic. Until recently, spousal exemption licensed rape in marriage. The spousal exemption saw the birth of the rape immunity law. This law fueled marital rape by allowing men to perceive women as the possessions and passive objects of their husband’s desires. The spousal exemption was an extension of the historic dominance of men over women. The law gave male power over wives institutional legitimacy. As a result, the law on sexual assault was only significant when it was involving intercourse out of marriage. However, the wake of human rights activism in the 1980s and early 1990s saw the abolishment of spousal exemption within the legislation of some