RAPE CULTURE AND VICTIM BLAMING IN AFRICAN SOCIETIES: A MORAL ANALYSIS

Аннотация

Socio-cultural practices and or norms, especially in many African societies, still give a territorial right for the subjection of women to sexual violence, specifically rape. When the responsibility of an attack or rape is shifted from the offender to the victim, then the effects of this violence in a society only worsen as these women are made to suffer double for their gender. The paper critically analyses rape culture in Africa identifying it with societies’ failures and violation of moral and social contracts. In line with feminist philosophical assumption, it posits that rape culture is systematic gender oppression nurtured by cult relay to male dominion. Analyzing the issue of victim blaming by applying the Kantian deontological, virtuous, and utilitarian approaches, it is possible to identify the weaknesses in the morality of the community in relation to sexual violence. Additionally, the paper aims at explaining the effects of victim blaming on the survivors, both the psychological reverses, social consequences, and the legal effects are also covered. This has called for a complete overhauling of the African society and their laws especially on the issues of human dignity and women’s rights.