First of all, let’s get this straight. Rape culture shouldn’t be a culture in the first place. However, as horrifying and ridiculous as it sounds, rape culture exists within us through the use of misogynistic language, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the glamorization of sexual violence, thereby creating a society that disregards women’s rights and safety.

News after news are surfacing on the internet about how a parent molested their child, school teachers abusing their powers towards school girls, and many similar others. You would think that with multiple news arising, the people who are running our country would at least have the moral decency to make it a safer place for us.

But no. With police sexually harassing women, delayed sexual harassment bill, and a heated news surfacing on the internet, a sexual harassment article published on the Ministry of Health’s website which consisted of blaming the victims for their physical attractiveness, patriarchy, and cultural believes as factors of sexual harassment scenarios happening, we’re far from eliminating these unfortunate events from happening. 

Yes, they’ve helped us in many ways through this pandemic, but approving and publishing content of victim-blaming doesn’t exclude you from being one of the active members of enabling rape culture within the society.

With that said, let’s have a look at how you might be responsible for enabling rape culture, knowingly or unknowingly by one or more of these things.

Media in Ridiculing Women

Image source The Atlantic

From objectifying women online to biased reporting of rape cases. We can all agree that the media has its way of ridiculing women everywhere. A study on media-induced sexual harassment states that ridiculing women on the media is a powerful cultural risk factor encouraging sexual harassment and sexual violence in real life.

It’s common for women to be portrayed as decorative, foolish, gossip mongers, and sex objects. When we, as a society, continue to take in and digest these portrayals of women in the media, it slowly warps our thinking and makes us believe that what we’re seeing is reality when in fact it is the farthest from the truth.

Especially with official sites publishing content that blames the victims with factors that are basically out of their control is just extremely insensitive. Unknowingly by doing such things, you are telling people or proving to them that it is okay to normalize these things when they shouldn’t in the first place.

Victim Blaming

Image source Forbes

“She asked for it” is an all too common phrase we hear when a woman is sexually violated. Welcoming criticism and scrutiny of a rape victim than the perpetrator is just outright wrong. Cited from the article published by the Ministry of Health, the writer blamed women’s physical attractiveness, body shape and sizes, and women working overtime.

Let’s be real here. All said factors are considered irrelevant because firstly, people have no control over how they look and are biologically born into their physical body. Secondly, how is a woman minding her own business and doing her work the cause of her being sexually harassed? Please, make it make sense for us.

If victim-blaming with illogical reasons such as these are perpetuated, it reinforces predator-like attitudes. It allows perpetrators to avoid being held accountable for their actions. One’s physique and attributes shouldn't be relevant or any cause for them to be sexually violated.

Policing Women’s Dressing

Image source Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona

As though victim-blaming wasn’t enough, of course, the article had to include another reason to the list which is blaming the way a woman is dressed invokes the opposite sexes to sexually harass them.

It’s funny how humans engage in such debates when the fact that bikinis and burqas are both icons of objectification is an equally confusing conundrum. How should we explain to men in seats of authority that a woman’s body is not something for them to police, be distracted by, or even an invitation to be disrespected by?

No matter where you live, the unnecessary constant move to scrutinize a woman’s dressing is a common way we maintain the culture of sexual abuse. What needs to be known is that rape happens to all women, covered or not, so it has absolutely nothing to do with the way they’re dressed.

Rape Culture Shouldn’t Even Exist

Image source brbrihan

Like we clarified earlier, rape culture shouldn’t be a culture in the first place. However, with these blame games happening every time someone is sexually harassed, it will perpetuate this hideous culture. Bear in mind that no one ever, be it female or male, should be put in a place of such discomfort.

The impacts of rape culture are extremely harmful. It’s high time we all educate ourselves and be conscious of what we do and say in regards to the topic. Start by a small action of calling out the people around you if you know that what they’re doing is offensive and speak out on whatever medium you have against rape culture.

Remember, it shouldn’t be “Don’t get raped”, but instead “Don’t rape”.