Calls to criminalize marital rape grow in India 保障印度女權！「婚內強暴是犯罪」呼聲高漲

In India, it is not a crime for a man to rape his wife due to the traditions rooted in patriarchy; however, there are growing calls from advocates to criminalize marital rape.

A few weeks ago, the high court in the southern state of Kerala ruled that marital rape is a form of physical and mental abuse and is “a good ground” to seek divorce.

Advocates point out that the women remain the property of their husbands. In India, it is absurd that rape is criminalized not because the woman has been violated, but because she is the property of another man and the rapist violates his property.

友善讓你懂｜解說：

由於印度根植於父權體制的傳統，當丈夫強暴妻子時，並不構成犯罪行為；然而，愈來愈多倡議者呼籲應該將「婚內強暴」定罪。

幾週前，印度南部喀拉拉邦的高等法院裁定，婚內強暴屬於身體和精神虐待，是可以尋求離婚的正當理由。

倡議者指出，印度婦女至今仍被視為其丈夫的財產，並強調這個觀念極度荒謬，因為在印度如果強暴犯被定罪，法源依據並非由於婦女性人權益受到侵犯，而是強暴者侵犯了另一個男人的財產（即該女性）。

輕鬆帶著走｜學習：

violate 指「違反、違背」法律、原則、合約、協議，或是本文中的身體自主權益。

例句：
The Internet has somehow violated our privay.
網路某種程度上侵犯了我們的隱私。

本篇其他相關單字，介紹如下：

• rape (v.) 強暴
• patriarchy (n.) 父權社會
• criminalize (v.) 定⋯⋯為非法
• marital (adj.) 婚姻的
• high court (n.) 高等法院
• abuse (n.) 虐待
• property (n.) 財產
• absurd (adj.) 可笑的、荒謬的
• rapist (n.) 強暴犯