Rape is India's fourth most common crime, and it's a major problem all across the world. It is commonly regarded to be a crime committed by a man against a woman, but have we ever considered the possibility that it may be the other way around?
Rape is defined as illicit sexual activity, generally sexual intercourse carried out against a person's will, violently or under fear of injury, or with a person under the age of 18 or incapable of legitimate consent owing to mental disease, mental unconsciousness, deficiency drunkenness etc.
Rape can occur at any age, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or age. There are many such incidents, but the majority of them go unreported because individuals are afraid that revealing them will cast doubt on their efficacy. Rape of people who aren't females is frequently undetected, and as a result, most people are unaware of it.
Male rape victims were researched for the first time in the 1980s, and the research was mostly focused on child sexual assaults. In the twenty-first century, a male rape victim still finds it difficult to disclose sexual assault because we live in a society that values men's ability to defend themselves and others.Most individuals are worried that reporting a sexual assault will raise concerns about their virility or that if they were raped by a man, they will be labelled queer.
In a nation like India, males are continuously encouraged to hide their feelings behind the phrase "Mardkodardnahihota," leaving them divided between the fear of societal repercussions and the need to express themselves.According to Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code, rape is a crime that can only be committed by a man against a woman. People have been made to think that because of their privilege and status in a patriarchal culture, a man or boy cannot be raped or sexually attacked. Sexual abuse is a national issue that requires the attention.
Men have been trained that showing vulnerability or any emotion that makes them appear weak is inappropriate. Toxic masculinity requires that males project a dominant and "alpha" personality. Men are ignorant of their sentiments and how to deal with them because of this unreasonable ideal. Men's anger difficulties and violence have been connected to the taboo against expressing natural human emotions like grief, fear, and disgust.
The idea of establishing gender-neutral anti-rape legislation has been continuously rejected by the Indian Parliament. In India, a male rape victim is not considered a victim at all. The male problem is rapidly worsening, showing itself mostly in jails, but also in our everyday lives.
We have to change the law in order bring equality for women and men. A criminal's penalty should be as terrible as the crime itself, and it should be applied to all people, regardless of gender. Whether male, female, or trans, the victim suffers the same physical, mental, and emotional agony. Due to the usage of gendered terminology, a male cannot bring a rape prosecution against a woman. This means that a man cannot claim sexual assault by a woman because rape can only be committed by a male.
Gender-neutral rape legislation must be introduced in India's parliament, just as they are in Bhutan and other nations. Males may be raped by women as well, and the Indian court system and citizens must acknowledge this. The law should recognise men as victims, not just abusers.
