LIVING IN SEXUAL BONDAGE I

The topic of sexual violence still remains largely ignored even in this age. Sadly, like every public health challenge, denial only worsens its menace. It carries patriarchal, misogynist and gender bias undertones. It thus becomes pertinent to acknowledge the scourge of sexual violence in our national and cultural life.

The World Health Organization (WHO) describes sex violence as "any sexual act or any attempt to obtain sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, acts to traffic or otherwise directed, against a person's sexuality using coercion by any person regardless of their relationship with the victim in any setting including but not limited to home and work."

The root causes of sexual violence are complex and like many other crimes, it may not be completely explicable or understood by a single factor. However, one of the most underscored factors associated with sexual violence is the subjection of culture. It is noteworthy that the diversity in our cultures with respect to gender roles and norms play no small role in sexual violence.

Within any sociocultural setting, the meaning of being a man/woman and manhood/womanhood may vary with the masculine identity being associated with experiences and feelings of power. Paternalistic cultural stereotype promote the view that men protect women from harm thus giving the impression that women are largely incapable of protecting themselves.

Sexual violence often involves elements of control, power, domination and humiliation. In order to assert power and control over their victim, perpetrators of sexual violence resort to practices such as abduction, isolation, threat and sexual abuse.

A research reported in the United States National Library of Medicine pointed out that in most cases, offenders may find the dastardly act sexually un-gratifying. For them it is the meaning attributed to power that overrides the sexual goals in the acts.

A typical example is the sexual violence against children which is primarily an expression of power over a child's life. Resisting the offender's attempts is unlikely especially so in the case of children since they do not always have the cognitive maturity to understand the wrongness of the act.

There is definitely an intersection between sexual violence and culture. We know that much of what an individual is today is shaped by the culture that he or she is born into and lives through acquiring cultural values, attitudes and behaviour.

In most cultures, certain forms of sexual violence are condemned while other forms may be tolerated to a degree. The culturally legitimized forms of sexual violence thus promote a continuum with transgression coercion at one end to tolerated coercion at the other. This is seen as in certain regions of the world, there's prejudice in the execution of justice against sexual violence based on racial differences.

Sexual violence appears to be more prevalent in climes that encourage objectification of women, thus making them appear inferior to men. In fact, certain socio-religious ideologies hold that animals are more valued than women.

In some region in Nigeria where child marriages is the norm, sexual coercion and by implication sexual violence is being institutionalized.

Sexual violence is profoundly negative and traumatic life event with widespread psychological and sociological effects on the victims irrespective of their gender.

It gives rise to a wide range of negative emotions. It increases feelings of helplessness and powerlessness in the victim; affects their self-esteem and produce feelings which suggest that they may be vulnerable to further violence in the future.

The fear of sexual violence in women will restrict their freedom and occupational opportunities and affect in the long run, their psychological well-being.

Unfortunately, within various professional circles and our general polity, sexual violence is rarely discussed perhaps out of ignorance or social stigma and shame for the victim and those related to the victim.

Sexual violence against women is without doubt fanned by the unequal power equations both real and perceived between men and women and this is strongly influenced by our cultural values.

It is high time we commenced our education to recognize the cultural barriers and strengths that are responsible for higher or lower rate of sex violence cases in our different cultures.

Author: Shobo Adedoyin