Pornography, populism and the rape culture

The horrific Kolkata murder and rape case has once again exposed the infrastructure of the damaging media and public reactions to such incidents.

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THE 77th anniversary of India's Independence was marked by women taking to the streets, protesting sexual violence and reclaiming the night.

Powerful images of protests emerged from across the country. The protests were triggered by the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor on duty at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata on August 9.

This is no cause for celebration. In fact, it should be worrying that almost eight decades after the country gained Independence, women still have to organise to reclaim time and space that should be universally accessible. Moreover, these peaceful demonstrations were met with the usual State response— tear gas and lathi charges.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)'s 2022 report puts the number of rapes at 90 every day. And these are just the reported numbers. Sexual and intimate violations without consent are a common occurrence globally. Rape, by virtue of being so common, becomes socially unobtrusive.

What is rape culture?

Rape culture can be defined as a deliberate system of intimidation where men keep women in a constant state of fear through the pervasive normalisation of violence against women.