Exploring Rape as a Gender-Based Crime

Over the last four decades, while research, awareness, and responses around rape and sexual assault have been on the rise, women and girls around the world continue to fight an uphill battle as they endure blame for their victimization and fight for support, resources, and justice. Understanding definitions, prevalence, impact, and prevention of rape remains complicated but is essential to capture the complexity of this crime. Given that a disproportionate number of victims are females, rape can also be seen as a gender-based crime thriving in a complex system of beliefs that support gender inequities, promote hyper-masculinity, and uphold cultural adherence to traditional gender roles. In this chapter, we will examine rape using a feminist lens and explore societal responses to this gender-based crime.