This expression was first used in the 1970s in the US by second wave feminism to highlight the prevalence of sexual violence and its normalization in US society. Rape culture is a clear manifestation of patriarchy and misogyny, which permeates societies as the maximum justification of sexual violence.
It is a set of social practices that normalize behaviours related to rape. There are clear examples of rape culture in cultural expressions—including publicity, cinema, and TV—that promote the popular idea that men have rights over women’s bodies.
It is also evident in how women who suffer sexual violence are treated when they are accused, re-victimized, and blamed for the aggressions they face. This is known as victim blaming.
Recently, rape culture was positioned in mass media in Spain after the case known as ’La Manada’. This was the case of five men who raped an 18-year-old girl during the Festival of San Fermín in Pamplona. This case mobilized large sectors of society. Led by the Spanish feminist movement, they expressed their support for the victim and against the patriarchal justice system that initially denied the seriousness of the aggression.
Photo credit: Sahara Prince