The Issue of Marital Rape Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Issue of Marital Rape - Research Paper Example Norms of the current age are based on equality and respect of each other while maintaining the status of equal partners. In legal and social parlance, it was believed that marriage was an institution in which sex between the partners is always legal irrespective of the fact that the woman is ready for it or not. The man was allowed to use her lady and she was bound by his commands. There was no concept of sexual assault and rape in a marital relationship even a century ago. It is pertinent to note here that a law is an off shot of aspirations of the society in which its citizens decide that how they would view a balanced society and on which ground they would like to judge the other and to be judged. Historically, law –just like other segments of the society- was reluctant to admit any interpretation of forced sex in a marital relationship as a rape. Marriage was considered as a license for a man to have sexual relations with his wife even against her wish. But gradually, now society and the law have evolved otherwise. Marriage is a knot between a man and woman, where both agree to live together for love and continuation of their family through their children. Marriage may be defined as â€Å"An agreement made in due course of law where a man and woman reciprocally decide to live with each other during their joint lives, in the union which ought to exist between husband and wife†1. Marriage is the relationship where cohabitation is not only for the purpose of sexual pleasure only but also for sharing love and grief, hot and cold, and to work for the comfort of life together. The institution of marriage is the oldest and the only permanent institution of any society. It was there when no other institution was there and till today, all the society posses it in one way or the other.