Can a woman ra*pe a man?

Can a woman ra*pe a man?

WHENEVER rape is mentioned, the picture that comes to mind is that of a man having sexual intercourse with a woman without her consent. That is why laws and policies often seek to protect women against men.

For example, S. 258 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011 states that any man who has unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman or girl without her consent is guilty of an offence called rape and is liable to imprisonment for life.

This section makes it clear that it is only men and not women that can commit “the offence called rape”. On other hand, Section 259 of the same law defines sexual assault by penetration using the words “any person” who penetrates sexually any opening in the body of another person with apart of his body or anything else without consent is guilty of a felony and liable to life imprisonment.

This is what the law says. Practically, can a woman physically overpower a man and sexually assault him by penetrating an opening in his body? Can a female force a male to have sexual intercourse with her?

Health related treatment

Sometime last year three Zimbabwean women were charged with raping about 17 men at gun point. They were accused of using drugs and keeping the men’s sperm in condoms for health related treatment. Similarly in Mexico, a woman was said to have tied up a burglar and kept him as a sex slave for 3 days.

While more women report cases of rape and sexual assault, it is not uncommon to hear stories of young boys who were seduced by their older female domestic servants.

In this case, it is called statutory rape and is recognized under the law as a crime. However, older female bosses are also blackmailing younger male employees into having a sexual relationship with them. Some of these women drug these younger male employees and force them to have sexual intercourse.

A man raped by a fellow man finds it difficult to tell the story. Just as female survivor of rape is stigmatized by the society, a male survivor who was raped by another male is also stigmatized.

Can a woman rape a man? If yes, will he be able to talk about it? Can a man be aroused against his will? Can his arousal be interpreted as consent?

What do you think?