IN 2014, then Commander of ‘A’ Division of the Guyana Police Force, Clifton Hicken, on the issue of rape was quoted as saying:
“While we try to prevent somebody from committing the offence we must ensure that we do not create an atmosphere for it to happen,” he said; adding that “and that is why we advocate for young females within a certain age group who are vulnerable, between 13 – 18, to always embrace an attire that is accepted morally.”

The Guyana Police Force would later apologise for the remarks of Hicken by stating that it was, “an unfortunate, bad choice of words, since like every other member of the Guyana Police Force, Hicken understands rape to be a violent act of power and aggression by the perpetrator on a weaker person.”

Hicken’s views regarding rape and why it happens is not something that occurred in isolation. He is not the only one who holds views such as that. Unlike others, I like it when those in power make remarks such as the one made by Hicken. It shows that the prevailing myths surrounding rape permeates every level of society. Last year at UG, I heard a male lecturer instruct a group of female students to dress appropriately on a field trip.

I questioned him about this and his answers were not surprising. He had similar thoughts like Hicken. Only about a month ago, I appeared on a television programme to discuss victim-blaming following the murder of Kescia Branche and the comments surrounding her death. Before we went live, the male host asked myself and the other panelist, whether women should not “know better.” What he was trying to ask was whether or not women are not culpable in their own rapes and death. After all, we all know that we are not safe every time we leave the house, so why then should we still be dressing a certain way and partying into the early morning hours?

If a woman is killed or raped tomorrow, chances are that there will be those who will seek to question whether she had a role in it. The myths surrounding rape are so pervasive, that they are almost unshakeable. In 1993, lawyer and social activist, Josephine Whitehead, had written some viewpoints regarding rape myths. As I read them, I found it unsettling that most of the issues and perceptions we had then concerning rape victims are the exact same issues we have now.

One that has changed slightly is the one that states that women cannot be raped in their marriages. It is here that we usually see how women are thought of as possessions rather than fully human. The argument almost always runs akin to the belief that because a man has married a woman, he now has the right to that woman’s body regardless of her own wishes. Thankfully, since 1993 to now, the laws have changed to reflect more progressive thinking, in that persons can now be charged for rape even if married to their victims. However, the cultural attitude has not changed much since then concerning rape victims and marriage.

Next comes the popularised but extremely inaccurate myth that rape is the fulfilment of many women’s sexual fantasies. This myth is usually used to justify the act of rape, by again insisting that it was the sole fault of the victim. If it is one thing I am sure of it is that women are under the constant fear of rape. A lot of times we walk down dark alleys and when we see suspicious men, we hope they just rob us. We hope that they do not get the idea in their heads to rape us. That is the real fear women face everyday. Josephine in her article had commented on this myth, stating, “The failure of men to appreciate the trauma of rape is no doubt due at least in part to the fact that they think of rape as something which only happens to women.”

Josephine had also commented upon the myth that rape is caused primarily by sexual desire. Of this, she says “rape is a crime of violence in which the sexual act is merely the expression of the desire to violate and exert power over the victim.” Rape is an act of power. It is about meting out sexual violence on those presumed weaker than you.

Finally, there is the prevailing myth of the “lying victim.” Aided on by a culture that sees women as lesser, the experiences of women are always invalidated, particularly when it comes to rape. Statistics for false rape allegations range between 2-8%. Due to the small number of false reports however, when reports are found out to be false, persons and the media amplify them. What this unfortunately does is lend to the inaccurate belief that women are always lying about rape.

What all these myths seek to do is place the burden of responsibility on the victim rather than the rapist. These myths continuously tell young boys and girls that if they are raped, it is somehow their fault. It is not surprising then that we have such low numbers of reported rapes. It is not surprising that many victims would rather suffer in silence rather than speak out and be labelled a liar. Rape victims know that the majority of us are not serious when we tell them to speak out and we will protect them. They just have to look at how we treat other rape victims to know that when it comes to the preservation of a broken society, they will always choose the rapist over the victim.

*I wanted to go in depth with these myths, but space does not allow it. I will most likely have to do follow up articles to further expand some important points regarding rape myths. If you are interested in this discussion and would like to learn more and ask questions, you can follow the Women’s Wednesdays Guyana Facebook page tomorrow at 12:00pm. www.facebook.com/wwguyana