Rape Culture’s Effect on Women’s Mental Health in India
Mentor Information
Holly Donahue Singh (Judy Genshaft Honors College)
Description
Rape ranks number fourth for the crimes against women in India, only considering the recorded cases that are being counted. Some states are backward and state that recording sexual assault is discouraged not only by the family but also by the police. The women who are sexually assaulted or raped have some adverse effects on their mental health. In South Asian culture Mental Health issues are usually stigmatized. Women fear for their life and worry that being rape will bring shame to their families by society. Additionally, most of the time the women who are assaulted; are assaulted by the closest people they know and not by strangers. The purpose of this paper is to solely address the effects of mental health on women who have experienced sexual assault or rape and focuses on women who face fear, anxiety, and stress to do their day-to-day activities with the nagging thought that they might be sexually assaulted. Many women carry tools to protect themselves and are scared to wear revealing clothing. Moreover, some women also rely on their male friends to drop them home if they are out late at night. Thus, women know that not all men are the same but the men they can trust are not that many. Based on the analysis performed, women in India do face mental health problems including fear, anxiety, and stress in their day-to-day activity due to the constituted patriarchy and the structure of the society.
Rape Culture’s Effect on Women’s Mental Health in India
Rape ranks number fourth for the crimes against women in India, only considering the recorded cases that are being counted. Some states are backward and state that recording sexual assault is discouraged not only by the family but also by the police. The women who are sexually assaulted or raped have some adverse effects on their mental health. In South Asian culture Mental Health issues are usually stigmatized. Women fear for their life and worry that being rape will bring shame to their families by society. Additionally, most of the time the women who are assaulted; are assaulted by the closest people they know and not by strangers. The purpose of this paper is to solely address the effects of mental health on women who have experienced sexual assault or rape and focuses on women who face fear, anxiety, and stress to do their day-to-day activities with the nagging thought that they might be sexually assaulted. Many women carry tools to protect themselves and are scared to wear revealing clothing. Moreover, some women also rely on their male friends to drop them home if they are out late at night. Thus, women know that not all men are the same but the men they can trust are not that many. Based on the analysis performed, women in India do face mental health problems including fear, anxiety, and stress in their day-to-day activity due to the constituted patriarchy and the structure of the society.
