Marital
Rape
Violence
Violence
Support
Crisis
Center
Change
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The abolition of Marital Rape Exemption is a positive move forward that puts domestic violence in a new perspective. The legal recognition that marital rape does indeed exist and quite rampant in society is definitely another barrier hurdled by women, but the struggle is far from over. That 42% of murdered women are killed by their intimate male partners is a statistic that illustrates the devastation of domestic violence. In one year four million women were physically abused by their husbands or boyfriends, an alarming fact that should compel one to consider the possibilities of the victim being one's mother, sister, or daughter or the attacker, one's father, brother, or son. Emotional, physical, and sexual assault is a tragedy that must not be ignored or forgotten.
Advocating change through the political system is by far the most enduring means to progress. The system has been notorious for failure and inefficiency, but faith in social justice will ultimately prove that the law can indeed fulfill the needs of the people. Legislation is such an important method that must be continually used to advance the rights of women and other struggling minorities. Title IX, FMLA, and the abolition of the Marital Rape Exemption are specific pieces of legislation that directly address the needs of women in education, employment, and health. These advances by no means mark the end of political action and clearly much more remains to be done in all aspects of the law. Women consistently face the challenges of inequality and must take on political activity to protect, educate, and promote one another and the various other minorities who suffer similar inequities under the law. |
Copyright Molly Egan, Jason Wood; Lehigh University 1999