Sexuality in Nepali Society
Dynamics
of increasing rape cases in Nepal
-
Amit Tamang
The cases of rape have
frequently been reported in the Nepali media these days. And activists-led
demonstrations voiced for justice and protection of women. Nepali children,
wives and woman-as-a-whole have endured years of suffering and privation. It is
evident that patriarchal thought and caste-based discrimination have still
suppressed Nepali society though the society is in a transitional phase of
change due to globalisation and westernisation.
Yet incompatible and fragmented ideas have made Nepali society a
nebulous one.
In this article, I have
tried to connect the rape incidents to some sociological explanations about
sexuality, deviance and socialisation. We should take care not to prejudge the
issue or misreport the facts of the case, and in fact, extensive researches
need to be conducted in order to understand the attitude of Nepali people
toward ‘sexuality’.
Myth
of Acquaintance Rape
Nepal has mostly
witnessed date rape, and the victims are chiefly children, who are not even
physically well grown to be fit for sex. Even in the USA, according to U.S.
Bureau of Justice Statistics, in
2005-10, 78% of sexual violence involved an offender who was a family member,
intimate partner, friend, or acquaintance.
A myth, often linked to
date rape, is that the victim of rape must have done something to encourage the
man and make him think she wanted to have sex. Perhaps the victim agreed to go
out with the offender. Maybe she even invited him into her room. But of course,
acting in this way no more justifies rape than it would any other kind of
physical assault.
Beyond the brutality of
being physically violated, rape by an acquaintance also undermines a victim’s
sense of trust. Involvement of father, grandfather, other family member,
acquaintance, pastor and even police officer in (gang) rape has obviously
increased a feeling of disbelief in Nepali community.
Role
of Nature or Nurture for Crime
In 2003, scientists at
the University of Wisconsin reported results of a 25 year study of crime among
400 boys. The researchers concluded that genetic factors (especially defective
genes) together with environmental factors (especially abuse early in life)
were strong predictors of adult crime and violence. They noted, too, that these
factors together were a better predictor of crime than either one alone.
Psychologists such as
Walter Reckless and Simon Dinitz have shown that personality patterns have some
connexion to deviance. Some serious criminals are psychopaths who do not feel
guilt or shame, have no fear of punishment, and have little sympathy for the
people they harm. This fits the case of rapist as shown on the BBC Four
documentary which was banned by the government of India. However, in the case
of biological factors, most serious crimes are committed by people whose
psychological profiles are normal.
Catalyst
for Crime
According to Edwin
Sutherland, a person’s tendency toward conformity or deviance depends on the
amount of contact with others who encourage – or reject – conventional
behaviour. Studies in the USA have also found a strong link between aggressive
behaviour and the amount of time elementary school children spend watching
television and video games. Some critics also claim that pornography is a cause
of violence against women. Even the word pornography comes from the Greek word porne, meaning “a man’s sexual slave’. Although it is difficult to prove a
scientific cause-and-effect relationship between what people view and how they
act, the public shares a concern about pornography and violence, with almost
half of adults holding the opinion that pornography encourages people to commit
rape as reported by an independent research organisation NORC at the University
of Chicago.
Sexism
deeply rooted in culture
Violence against women
is due to sexism – prejudice based on gender. Besides religion, our art,
literature, politics, economies, and other deeply rooted institutions are
heavily laced with gender bias. Sexism is so deeply rooted in virtually every
culture that it almost appears natural and often goes unnoticed and
unchallenged. Say, one says ‘as if he is wearing bangle’ (ke haatmaa chura lagaeko chha ra yasle) to mean he has not put on
bangles and he can fight back. Even vulgar descriptions of sexual intercourse
usually refer to what men do to women, thus demonstrating male power and
feminine passivity. Even terms of endearment for women are often diminutive. Whether the society is open, in terms of
sexuality, like the USA or more conservative like India and Nepal, rape and
violence against women occur more frequently because patriarchal thoughts
prevail in most societies in the world. At least in our context, mind-set like
that of the defence lawyers for the rapists of Delhi rape case exemplify, may
be, one of the proclivities for rape.
Cultural
revival is a must
Sex is obviously an
integral part of human beings as shown even by archaeological findings. Though
human history is not free from forcible sex, extra-marital sex and gang rape,
it’s a postcolonial period and any form of violence against women and
under-aged girls must be brought to an end. Many pages may get filled and many
hours may get spent, the time has come now to discuss openly about sexuality,
sexism, and female-male equality in family, school and community. Mass media
can play a highly appreciable role in doing so while anthropologists, sociologists, historians
and psychologists can contribute, with their deep knowledge about history and
nature of humans and their thoughts, to transform threatening (to social order)
cultural traits and beliefs along with wrong practices of socialisation. Nepal
Government should actively and providentially be on its mettle to edify and
propagate the people with the idea of gender equality and respect to women
along with the strict criminal judicial provisions. It’s a good sign that our
societies have now gathered much courage to report such crime and ask for
justice.
