Women Help Women

 

 

WOMEN HELP WOMEN

In this article from the March/April 1979 issue of Manushi, a feminist journal from India, Vibhuti Patel of India interviews Berit Lakey of the Women's Organization Against Rape (WOAR), Philadelphia, USA. Manushi is available from A-5 Nizamuddin East, New Delhi 110013, India

RAPE as an issue defines the common predicament of all women. It is a conscious act of intimidation which is used to keep women in constant fear and anxiety. Even though rape is a crime committed by individual men on individual women, yet it is an issue concerning all women, because it is the fear of a real or potential rape which keeps all women dependent for their protection on men. It is not as if one set of men act as "protectors" while the others violate women. The same man who forbids his wife or daughter to move out alone - who protects them as his personal "property" - violates with impunity the wives and daughters of other men.

Women are forced to believe that they are safe only as the property of this or that man. All male-dominated societies enforce this dependence in women. Thus the man-woman relationship becomes one of power and domination. Therefore,the fight against rape has to be a collective fight of all women against all forms of male domination and oppression of women. It is thus that rape becomes a political issue.In the West, rape is the crucial issue around which feminist organizations unite and fight. Among these feminist bodies is the Women's Organization Against Rape (WOAR). Berit Lakey, director of WOAR was recently on a lecture tour of India.

Berit, what are your views on rape?

Rape graphically conveys that "we are not free" and keeps women in their place - always terrified, subdued and oppressed. Yet nothing is done about it. The social stigma attached to the victim of rape makes her feel further demoralized,ashamed, guilty and isolated. Much theoretical work has been done on issues like class struggle and economic injustice, but little importance is given to this specific form of women's oppression.

To which strata of society do women who face this problem acutely, belong?

From our (WOAR's) experience of two years in which we have seen 1500 cases in Philadelphia, we can say that rape happens in all social and economic strata. In India, also, rape and sexual atrocities are committed on women - whether and sexual atrocities are committed on women — whether they are adivasis, harijans, typists, college students, rich women or housewives from any economic background. But women from lower economic strata have fewer resources, so they have to come to a government hospital if they have been raped. Rich women consult the best doctors if they are raped and the matter is kept secret. Women from the middle classes don't report the crime because of the social stigma.

Can you throw some light on the relationship between therapist and the rape victim?
 
In 50 per cent of cases, the rapist is a person the woman knows - friends, acquaintances, bosses and sometimes even near relatives like cousins, uncles, fathers-in-law, rape. In 10-12 per cent of cases, brothers, fathers and other family members are involved. Fifty per cent of rape-victims are under 18. Many are sexually molested at home. School going boys and girls are often the victims of forcible sexual intercourse.

 How do you analyse the psychological aspect of rape?

There have been many myths relating to rape like, "because women wear provocative clothes they are raped", "women like to attract males"! I might wear fashionable clothes because would like to be admired; this does not mean that I would like to be attacked. Some Freudians say women have a phobia of being raped. To me the word "phobia" means an"irrational psychological condition" while rape is a "political condition". Its victim is any baby, girl or woman, from the age of nine months to 96 years.
 
Rape kills a woman's self-confidence in her destiny and her body. Thus rape is not sexual engagement but sexual violence.Both men and women can be victims of psychological rape,which is harassment by words or gestures such as obscene phone calls, whistles and pinches. Both physical and psychological rape have as direct objectives domination, aggression,degradation and humiliation.
 
As regards rapists I would like to tell you that statistics from various studies have shown that 71 per cent of all rapes were well-planned prior to actual practice. Rapists know their target. And it is not only the sex-urge that forces men to rape.Studies of rapists show that most are mentally "normal" with tendencies towards aggression and violence. Many are married or have girlfriends and other sexual outlets and are not "sex-starved". So WOAR says, "The major motive for rape is aggression, violence, humiliation, domination."
 
What are your views on marital rape?
 
Laws in the USA now state that a woman can't be raped by her husband. Forcible intercourse without the consent of the wife does take place but such instances of domestic sexual violence do not become public knowledge. The institution of marriage gives the male partner a freehold over the woman partner's body. Violation of a woman's dignity by her husband is as much a crime as when she is violated by X,Y or Z. Even in marriage, "domination dynamics" are at work.
 
How does WOAR function? What are its aims and objectives?

WOAR's activity is not confined to helping women only. It wants to raise people's awareness. To us it does not seem social work because the eradication of rape requires political work.

We are working in five different areas. The work is divided among (a) administrative teams (b) voluntary development teams (c) legal system teams.

When a rape-victim rings us up, we give her emotional shelter, listen to her experience. We have hot line services which are open for 24 hours of the day. WOAR is connected with hospitals, the police, the courts, psychiatrists and public education institutes. Our volunteers accompany rape-victims to the hospital, they stand beside the victim while a gynaecological examination is going on.

How does WOAR function? What are its aims and objectives?

WOAR's activity is not confined to helping women only. It wants to raise people's awareness. To us it does not seem social work because the eradication of rape requires political work.

We are working in five different areas. The work is divided among (a) administrative teams (b) voluntary development teams (c) legal system teams.

When a rape-victim rings us up, we give her emotional shelter, listen to her experience. We have hot line services which are open for 24 hours of the day. WOAR is connected with hospitals, the police, the courts, psychiatrists and public education institutes. Our volunteers accompany rape-victims to the hospital, they stand beside the victim while a gynaecological examination is going on.

Volunteers also go to the police and to the court when the victim is cross-examined. Sometimes a victim is asked questions which make her feel humiliated and too ashamed to speak out in public. Our volunteer just asks the woman to forget that there are other people in the court-room. She suggests that the victim concentrate on her while making her statement. In this way we try to prevent the woman from breaking down in court.

WOAR also organizes education classes which try to make people more sensitive to this issue. Traditionally, a rape victim kept the experience to herself and everyone who knew about it treated her as untouchable. But these attitudes are changing. People now show a willingness to talk about rape and sexual atrocities.

WOAR is a legal institution. There have been "illegal organizations"of women against rape and sexual assault. One of them is the SOS (Save Our Sisters). This organization's main activity is to expose the name of the rapist through wall posters like "so and so raped a woman at such and such place'.' This campaign really creates a stir.

Can you tell us something about WOAR's activists?

At present we have 12 full timers who devote themselves to the cause of WOAR. Many women, including rape-victims,have volunteered for the work. But it is very difficult to continue such work for more than two or three years because women find WOAR's experience very traumatic and emotionally disturbing.


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Why do you consider rape to be a political question?

One, because the only solution to the problem is political.We will have to link the fight against rape with our struggle against capitalism under which women are mere sex objects of the capitalist economy-market. Only organized women can the capitalist economy-market. Only organized women can help.

Moreover, other social factors are involved in rape cases in America. Among the 450 men so far executed for rape, 405 were black and poor men. The blacks are always punished.But not one white man has ever been executed for raping a black woman.

Do you have any experience of police-connivance? In our Do you have any experience of police-connivance? In our country it is the usual thing. If a rape-victim or her relatives go to the police to lodge a complaint, they are beaten up, sometimes women are raped by the police themselves. In cities things are no better. Do such things happen in your country?

There is always police connivance in cases of sexual atrocities and rape. Usually the police try to avoid registering a case;they ask the victim humiliating, irrelevant and insulting questions and put the victim and her relatives off. But because of, WOAR things have changed to a great extent. But neither the police nor the law can help us women unless we are organized. So sisters, I repeat again that we will have to treat rape as a political issue, not an individual act. We must fight in a united way.

ONLY ORGANIZED WOMEN CAN HELP.