Rape Culture
Singapore have been facing this problem too. The number of sexual crimes has been rising over the last four years. Just last year, there were 272 cases filed in the State Courts involving either sexual assault by penetration, sexual grooming of a minor under 16, outrage of modesty or rape. Another 169 cases involving these crimes led to convictions. This is an overall increase of about 60 per cent from 164 cases filed and 105 convictions in 2011.
In the High Court, 13 rape cases were filed last year, up from four the year before and six in 2012. Eight people were convicted of rape last year compared to four in 2013 and six in 2012.
The Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) also said that 234 people sought help at its Sexual Assault Care Centre last year, up from 192 in 2013. The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) handled 38 cases of sexual abuse involving minors last year. In 2013, there were 40 cases. In most cases, the perpetrator was a family member.
Rape Culture is an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture. Rape culture is perpetuated through the use of misogynistic language, the objectification of women’s bodies, and the glamorization of sexual violence, thereby creating a society that disregards women’s rights and safety.
Rape Culture affects every woman. The rape of one woman is a degradation, terror, and limitation to all women. Most women and girls limit their behavior because of the existence of rape. Most women and girls live in fear of rape. Men, in general, do not. That’s how rape functions as a powerful means by which the whole female population is held in a subordinate position to the whole male population, even though many men don’t rape, and many women are never victims of rape.
It frequently includes objectifying women or portraying social relations as a "war of the sexes", both of which lead to dehumanization . Dehumanization, in turn, leads to sexual violence against victims being condoned as they are mentally considered "objects" instead of "a fellow human" . In this way, sexism that does not explicitly deal with rape can still contribute to rape culture, especially if the sexism implies that women are primarily or exclusively valued for their desirability to heterosexual men, or that sexual relationships follow a predator/prey model.
We can as well see this from the point of view of rigidity of gender roles in a society. Whenever a society prescribes rigid gender roles, then it commits itself to disrespect for gender diverse roles. This amounts to objectification of the body and therefore any culture that prescribes rigid gender roles is a rape culture.
Women are now still living in Rape Culture. Just because Rape is excused under influence by the media does not mean that it is acceptable. Women are afraid to come out to talk about this problem as it is not acceptable. The fault would always be on the Women. But Rape was never about the sexual pleasure you get from it, it is about the domination of another person. Women did not ask to be RAPE.