marital rape

Dehradun’s Ekta Kapoor survived marital rape, three suicide attempts and severe depression. Today, she is an internationally certified fitness trainer, a national powerlifting champion, and the owner of Uttarakhand’s first premium personal fitness studio.

Iti Rawat started the ‘Red Dot Campaign’ when she started getting SOS calls from domestic abuse victims during the pandemic. More than 180 calls have been received so far.

“He kicked me in the stomach and I started bleeding profusely. At 5 weeks, I lost my baby. At that moment I was dead inside. I decided I needed to live again, this time for myself.”

Within a day after her marriage, this child bride was subject to domestic violence. Everyone around her turned silent spectators, including the police who told her to ‘resolve the matter within the family or find a relative to live with.’

Even though many countries around the world have taken such strong and progressive steps, India is one of the 36 countries where it is still not a criminal offence.

Similar to murder, rape is a reprehensible act that leaves a body defiled. But rape victims are not like murder victims; they live & relive the event. Worse yet, they can never leave the scene of crime.

Lalitha Kumaramangalam, the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW) shares her thoughts on the dismal child sex ratio, land rights for women, equal pay for equal work, marital rape, and more.

Since marriage is considered sacred, a woman is expected to willingly subject her body to being used and ravaged. Here is why former Member of Planning Commission and a leading voice on women’s rights in India, Syeda Hameed believes that marital rape cannot be justified.