Marital rape as a crime pushed

MANILA, Philippines — A legislator wants to include marital rape in the sexually violent acts listed in the antiviolence against women and children (VAWC) law to scrap the “outdated and harmful” view that married women must always consent to have sex with their spouses.

In filing House Bill No. 10796, Calamba City Rep. Charisse Ann Hernandez seeks to amend provisions of Republic Act No. 9262, or the Anti-VAWC Act of 2004 by rectifying the “glaring omission” of marital rape as a form of sexual violence.

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“Marital rape, the act of a spouse forcibly engaging in sexual intercourse with the other spouse without consent, remains a pervasive issue. This crime is rooted in the outdated and harmful notion that marriage implies perpetual consent to sexual relations,” she said.