By Monica Islam:
When Hyderabadi filmmaker Deepthi Tadanki set out to research the subject of corrective rape for her upcoming film Satyavadi, she learned about shocking practices which took place in Bangalore. In one instance, a homosexual boy was forced by his family members to engage in sexual intercourse with his own mother, apparently to “cure” him of his “deviant” sexual behavior. The victims have decided to remain silent because they choose to delete memories of such incidents where their own family members have conspired to push them in the throes of lifelong trauma. At least 15 such cases were reported to an Indian LGBT organization over a period of five years.
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Before one pounces on this opportunity to brand corrective rape as an “Indian problem”, let us take a look at the origin of the term “corrective rape” and at horrific examples from around the world. Corrective rape is defined by ActionAid as “a way of punishing and curing women of their sexual orientation” (I want to emphasize here that men too are victims of corrective rape as illustrated by cases in India and Zimbabwe).
The term was coined in South Africa in the early 2000s when charity workers first noticed an influx of such attacks. It was also during that time when, following a United Nations report, South Africa was repeatedly described as the “rape capital” in the world, having one occurrence of rape in every 17 seconds. The brutal gang-rape and murder of Eudy Simelane, a soccer player training to be a referee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup who identified as a lesbian, brought extensive press attention to this phenomenon of corrective rape, resulting in a few survivors finally speaking up about their ordeal.
Pearl Mali was raped by a priest almost every day for nearly four years since she was 12. When she was impregnated, she was also deprived of her parental rights by her own mother. Mvuleni Fana was gang-raped by four men and was beaten up by them until she passed out. Simphiwe Thandeka was raped by a male relative. When the bleeding girl complained to her mother, the latter dismissed it as a “family matter.” All these incidents were accompanied by verbal abuse. The victims were derided with centuries-old patriarchal remarks, such as “This is what a man tastes like”, “I’ll show you your place”, and “Act like a real woman”. Knives, stones, sticks, and other sharp objects are routinely used during the rape. Apart from psychological trauma, the victims suffer from unwanted pregnancies and HIV infection.
While the world looks up to South Africa for some of the most progressive LGBTQI laws—it is the fifth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, and its Equality Act (2010) outlaws hate crimes, the country’s social and criminal justice systems are lagging far behind. 31 lesbians were killed, resulting in only one conviction. According to a support group, more than 10 lesbians are raped every week. The Telegraph reports that out of 25 rapists, 24 will be acquitted. It further notes that in 2013, UNESCO revealed that schools in the country were failing with regards to gender rights. It appears that homophobic religious sermons have replaced inclusive sex education, inspiring schoolboys to “jack-roll”, a colloquial term for gang-rape in the country. “Homosexuals can change,” said Reverend Oscar Peter Bougardt to journalist Clare Carter. What’s more? 61 per cent of South Africans believe that society should not accept homosexuality; that it is in some way “un-African”.
The situation is no better elsewhere. Angeline Jackson, an LGBTQI activist in Jamaica and a rape survivor who identifies as a homosexual woman, tearfully tells me that she was advised by police to “leave this lifestyle and go back to church” when she went to report the crime. Due to a string of similar attacks in the country, the complaint was eventually accepted and the case moved to court. The perpetrator was handed down a sentence of 27 years, but Angeline felt “victimized all over again” because majority of the charges against the rapist related to possession of firearms and kidnapping. At most four years of imprisonment was ordered for rape because “the legislation in her country did not count forced oral sex as rape.” In 2014, the sentence was overturned on appeal, and Angeline was not even notified about it by the court.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon aptly said, “Violence against women and girls continues unabated in every continent, country, and culture.”
To fight corrective rape, many citizens are taking it in their own hands to act. Deepthi Tadanki is adamant in making the film which is only 40 per cent complete due to financial struggles (and in the face of blog comments accusing her of “conniving with Westerners to defame India”). Angeline Jackson is sharing her experience globally and is battling homophobia through the organization Quality of Citizenship Jamaica. An online petition on Avaaz.org has already collected 947,750 signatures. Before corrective rape threatens any more of your near and dear ones, read about it, create awareness, and act now to criminalize this violent practice.
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