The Impact of Globalisation on Rape Culture and Sexism in India

This essay delves into the complex issue of rape culture and sexism within the context of globalising India, challenging the simplistic view that attributes gender violence solely to Indian culture and tradition. It argues that contemporary forces, including caste, politics, and capitalism, play significant roles in maintaining women's subordinate positions. The analysis examines how these factors intersect to create and perpetuate misogyny, including the invocation of cultural norms to justify violence and control women. The essay further explores the impact of neoliberal economic policies on women's employment and the challenges women face in the workforce. It concludes by emphasizing the need to address the interconnectedness of caste, communal violence, and gender inequality, advocating for a unified struggle against neoliberal policies and capitalism to achieve freedom and autonomy for all. The essay highlights the importance of understanding the evolving nature of misogyny and its roots in social, economic, and political motivations.

Running head: RAPE CULTURE AND SEXISM IN THE GLOBALISING INDIA
RAPE CULTURE AND SEXISM IN THE GLOBALISING INDIA
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The entire nation was shocked bythe gang rape incident that took place in 2012. It
knocked on the question of the rights as well as of the security of women in India. It is very
much incorrect to believe that placing the women in the subordinate position to that of the man is
the culture of India. The major cause of the subordination of women is that of the caste,
politicsand even the economic state or condition of the nation of India.
The culture of India is said to be basis on which the rape is being justified. Mukesh
Singh, who is one of the men who are accused of the gang rape, claimed that the women are
being raped because she overstepped from the morality that is being expected from the women.
His lawyer even proclaimed that as a father, he would burn his daughter into ashes if he finds her
daughter doing some kind of intolerable work which is not expected from that of the women.
This is itself an expression of the poverty and deprivation and even a culture of the masculine
privilege in India.
The culture of India is considered to be the basis of the argument against women who
have been raped. The authoritative figures from the parliament, leaders belonging to the Hindu
political right and even few members of the Indian parliament are also of the same opinion that
the western culture has a great impact upon the women who have deviated from the path of the
Indian culture and has therefore been a victim of the rape. It is being believed that when women
abides by the rules of the society and as per the norms that are being set by the men in order to
avoid in being the victim of the rape.
When culture is being defined by these politicians concerning the tradition of the
misogyny, they are not focusing or referring to the tradition or culture that lies before, in
contrary, it can be said that these politicians or the figures of great power are trying to design and
even establish a new form of culture which is quite different from that of the past. In order to

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exercise the power of politics, this type of culture is being created by these powerful figures.
There are times in which the women and their loved ones are killed for the purpose of saving the
honor of their respective families. This is generally referred to as the honor killing or the
custodial killing. They are killed mainly because it is being believed that they are invoking the
culture of the society that is being traditionally followed. It is being believed that the culture of
the society will be maintained if they are being sentenced to that of death. However, it must be
noted that there was no such tradition in which the self-choice couples were being killed.
The honor killing by the dominant clans of the state of the Haryana is a modern
phenomenon. This is mainly done in order to maintain control and even retain power over land
and property. It is also being done for the purpose of controlling political hegemony. However,
in the present times, this practice is facing various sorts of challenges from the caste who are
oppressed as well as from the women who are trying to reclaim their rights over lands and
property.
The politicians tend to invoke the culture and tradition in order to combine the support of
the class which is very dominating. It is also being invoked to join the religion as well as various
classes. One of the easiest ways that can be applied for the purpose of combining classes is
through the shared “honor” that tends to lie over the sisters and daughters.
Thus, it can clearly be that the concept of the misogyny is not at all static. It is constantly
changing over a period of time. It is totally designed on the basis of the social, economic and
political motives. The culture of India that is being invoked is totally a myth that is being
created for the purpose of uniting the landless men and the working class with the capitalist and
the landed men.

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Despite doing lots of work and even producing children, the work of women is not
considered important. The work done by the women is simply considered as something which
has no value and is therefore unpaid. On the other hand, since the men works outside and is paid,
they considered themselves to be very much superior in comparison to that of the women. It is
becaue of this they look down upon the women and even sees them to be their own property with
whom the men can do anything they want. Neoliberal economic policies were being
implemented in India in the year 1980 which is famously known as Liberalization, Privatization
and Globalization. These policies are meant to uplift India from the state of poverty, create new
opportunities for jobs and are even meant for the upliftment of the women.
Studies claim that in the present times, various women are coming up in search of the
paid jobs. However, it should be noted that the rate of participation of the women in paid jobs is
very much low. Despite the fact that the women are coming up in order to work outside and get
paid, studies even claim that the women are mostly employed in 3-D jobs which are totally
dirty, demeaning and even very much dangerous. Though they are a victim of exploitative wage
labor, the women even bear the burden of household labor.
It can be said that though the families play a great role in subordinating the women by
stopping them to work, the process of capitalism, as well as the globalization, also plays a
significant role in drawing women out into wage labor. It is also mainly done for holding women
down to their respective roles to maintain social reproduction. It is only by subpressing the
women, the men can portray themselves to be superior and dominate in the other aspects of the
life.
The philosophy that is being followed by family, gender and national cultures are totally
invoked by the present economic, political and social narratives to defend the caste, gender,

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religious divides as well as class hierarchies. This is mainly the reason why the fight which is
being fought against the caste, communal violence and even gender in India cannot be taken just
as a fight against that of the highly backward culture or against that of the totally regressive
mindsets. These battles along with the peasants and workers of india must integrate to confront
neoliberal policies and capitalism. It must be understood that the fight must be fought together
for freedom and autonomy in factories, fields and even amidst the families.

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