An Examination of the Married Body of a Woman as Reflected Through Marital Rape in Nigeria

The Nigerian Penal Code allows ‘husbands to correct their wives’. A potential inquiry over the intended role of lawLaw would question whether the lawLaw is a means of salvation or a contributor to women’sWomen objectification. The chapter asserts that the mutual contractual consent theoryConsent theory that advocates for the marital rapeMarital rape exemption from criminalizationCriminalization is a partial representation of the situation in NigeriaNigeria. Analysis of the institution of marriageInstitution of marriage within the socio-cultural context of NigeriaNigeria is crucial for gaining insights into the current manifestation of marital rapeMarital rape. This chapter presents a contextual framework for comprehending the non-recognition of marital rapeMarital rape in NigeriaNigeria by examining the objectification of womenWomen through the practice of ‘bride priceBride price’. The aim is to illustrate that this practice establishes a powerPower hierarchyHierarchy within marital relationshipsRelationships, which, when combined with the prevalent objectification of womenWomen in Nigerian society, shapes a certain perception of a woman’sWomen bodyBody within the context of marriageMarriage, which in turn contributes to the occurrence of marital rapeMarital rape and violenceViolence within such unions. This chapter provides an analysis of Hale’s theoretical framework and its implications for comprehending the concept of marital rapeMarital rape in NigeriaNigeria, focusing on consentConsent. The influence of ‘bride priceBride price’ on power dynamicsPower dynamics within marriageMarriage in NigeriaNigeria draws upon Foucault’s theoretical framework of powerPower and knowledge. This perspective offers valuable insights into the structural constraints imposed by the practice of ‘bride priceBride price’ and its impact on the autonomy of spousesAutonomy of spouses within a marital union.