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Hello. Anette here again.
In this lecture, we will talk about sexual coercion and violence.
In the past 15 to 20, years we have come to realize that sexual coercion and sexual
violence, and other related issues such as sexual trafficking, transactional sex,
sexual violence in war situations, and other forms of gender-based violence in
and out of relationships constitutes a very significant public health challenge.
We are all familiar with the terms rape and sexual assault.
These are both examples of sexual violence.
The definition of sexual violence is any sexual act,
attempt to obtain a sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances,
or acts to traffic, or otherwise directed against a person's sexuality using
coercion, by any person, regardless of their relationship to the victim,
in any setting including but not limited to home and work.
But the term that most people is less familiar with is sexual coercion.
This term refers to the act of using sex through pressure, drugs, alcohol, or
forced to have sexual contact with someone against their own will.
However, it is important to be aware that the term sexual coercion and
sexual violence are sometimes used interchangeably.
While rape and sexual assault are generally identifiable,
sexual coercion is more covert and harder to identify.
Sexual coercion and sexual violence can involve widely varying degrees of force.
Let's discuss a few examples of sexual violence and coercion.
All types of forced sex, even within a marriage or
a dating relationship, is defined as rape.
Rape does not have to be carried out by a complete stranger.
Another example is systematic rape during armed conflict,
unwanted sexual advances or sexual harassments, including demanding
sex in return for favors, are also examples of forced sex.
Sexual abuse of mentally or physically disabled people, sexual abuse of children,
forced marriage or cohabitation, including the marriage of children.
Denial of the right to use contraception or to adopt other measures to
protect against sexually transmitted infections, forced abortion.
Violent act against the sexual integrity of women, including female genital
mutilation and obligatory inspections for virginity, forced prostitution and
trafficking of people for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
And a range of other acts, such as being forced to pose naked for a picture,
film, or online, forced to see someone naked, watch someone masturbate,
or forced to masturbate someone or watch them masturbate.
Both sexual coercion and sexual violence are largely committed by men, and
directed towards women and girls.
But they can also affect boys and
men, in opposite sex as well as same sex relations.
The perpetrator of many acts of sexual violence and
coercion is often the intimate partner or someone that is known to the victim,
such as a relative, a friend, or a neighbor,
although sexual coercion by stranger is also a common phenomenon.
During adolescence, many or most young people will experiment in various ways.
This is part of coming of age.
One area where they experiment is with their sexuality, and
this can include various risky behaviors.
While such experimentation in many countries mainly consists of consensual
lovemaking, there are also countries and settings where sexual coercion and
even rape is quite common as the first sexual encounter.
For example, date rape is an expression used in the US.
In South Africa, sexual coercion or
rape, even as a first sexual experience for girls, is very common.
This appears to be related to the sociopolitical history of that country
during the latest decades and
relatively lack of a tradition of healthy masculinization.
And in other countries such as India, there is a lack of safe toilets for
girls including in schools.
And this may lead to girls either being exposed to rape or
giving up their schooling to avoid the risk of rape.
A common background factor in many settings where sexual violence against
girl is widespread is the existence of societal attitudes
that somehow accept such violence, directly or indirectly.
This ranges from the praise of masculinity.
For example, some Nicaraguan mothers say, keep your chickens indoors,
my roosters are loose.
Or statements like,
walking out at night with such a short skirt, it was her own fault.
Such statements or beliefs imply a derogatory attitude towards women,
also reflecting men's rights to conquer women.
These examples highlight one of several
rights issues linked to the entire area of sexual coercion and gender-based violence.
Poverty exposes many young girls everywhere, and
notably in developing countries, to different forms of transactional sex,
where money or goods like clothes, cell phones, or
favors, such as patronage, or protection, or exchange for sexual favors.
Teenage girls and young women from poor families often accept transactional sex so
that they can pay the school fees and stay in school.
And in both the developing and the developed world, exchange of sex,
in order to achieve a luxurious lifestyle and higher social status, is also known.
These relationships are more common in sub-Saharan Africa, and
are commonly known as sugar daddy relationships.
They typically involve an older man, often married with children, and a younger girl.
Relationship between young man and an older woman,
referred to as a sugar mama, are rare but known to exist throughout the world.
More often than not, transactional relationships are based on
power differentials between older and younger partners and
are associated with high degrees of sexual violence and coercion.
There are also still many countries where men seek to have sex with virgin girls,
since virginity may be highly valued or
misbeliefs about the healing power of having sex with a virgin still prevail.
This belief can reinforce sexual coercion, violence, and transactional sex.
Workplaces may also be unsafe areas for girls and women.
In general, workplaces without clear gender safety guidelines may be
associated with sexual harassment, coercion, or violence.
Bars, restaurants,
hotels are also places with a higher frequency of sexual coercion and violence.
Even at police stations where rape victims might seek contact of the rape or
sexual violence, girls might be further subjected to abuse.
Sexual coercion or sexual violence are to a large extent linked to how society
values and protects women, children, and sexual minorities.
Thus, they reflect both a degree of gender equity and power differentials,
like caste, class or age in the respective society.
And human rights aspects such as child rights and the right to define and
express one's sexual identity.
To a very large extent, most of this violence is related to gender roles.
So sexual violence is not random violence, but
rather an expression of power differentials within society.
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