Unravelling Pakistani women’s perspective on marital intimacy and consent

The notion of “marital rape” continues to be veiled and subject to controversy within the patriarchal society of Pakistan. There exists a commonly held misunderstanding that instances of rape are limited to occurrences that take place solely outside the confines of marital relationships. The obscurity surrounding the subject of marital rape can be attributed to a combination of factors, including legal exemptions, deeply ingrained patriarchal attitudes, societal institutions, and the formation of gender roles. This research investigates the viewpoints of Pakistani women towards the issue of marital rape, with a specific focus on their descriptions of such crimes and their level of awareness regarding the existing legal frameworks about this matter. The research is being undertaken at two places in Pakistan: Mohallah Amarpura in Rawalpindi and the Department of Gender Studies at Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad. The researcher employed a feminist epistemological framework and a qualitative research paradigm, along with the utilization of purposive sampling and thematic analysis methodologies. The study’s results shed light on the viewpoints of the participants, indicating that a significant majority of people perceive marital rape as inconsistent with Islamic legal principles and attribute it to Western cultural influences. Concurrently, it is widely held among respondents of both genders that sexual intercourse is perceived as a male prerogative and an essential aspect of marital existence.