Control of reproductive rights

Closely related to marital rape, which we discussed last week, is another kind of sexual abuse – the control of a woman’s reproductive rights. In the introduction to the topic of sexual abuse, we had discussed how masculinity in SA cultures is defined largely by male virility and by control of women’s sexuality; this particular kind of sexual abuse involves both aspects of SA masculinity. Several of the women that Abraham interviewed had been forcibly impregnated (which indicates male virility) or forced to have an abortion (which indicates male control of women’s reproductivity).

One woman’s husband refused to use condoms when he raped her, forcing her to have 4 children in 5 years. In doing so, he characterized her as a maternal figure rather than a sexual one. The husband of another woman forced her to have abortions against her desire and religious convictions. In order to ensure that she would not have a baby, he violently battered her when she was pregnant – including punching her with thumbtacks. When, after 3 abortions, she chose to have a baby, he refused to participate in raising the child.

Many women reported that they had been physically battered when pregnant. This is not an uncommon finding – plenty of research suggests that the incidence of domestic violence increases during pregnancy. Several women also reported that their husbands had sexual affairs outside of the marriage (especially during their pregnancies) – a topic we’ll cover more next week.

[For more information, see: Abraham, M. (2000). Sexual Abuse in South Asian Immigrant Marriages. Violence Against Women, 5(6), 605-607.]