Does Accra Have A Rape Culture?- Rape, A Gendered Society And Social media

ABSTRACT

This paper is a study of the possible impact of gender in the societal attitudes towards rape, rape victims and perpetrators. Under the subject of Gender and Sexualities, this paper seeks to find new ways to eradicate the problem of rape by studying the impact of societal attitudes through gender and gender role stereotyping, and their influence on sex and sexuality. A study of a possible rape culture is also an examination of the deeply embedded power structures that create inequalities and inequities. Sexual rights are human rights. A rape culture can affect people’s access to basic human rights such as education services, political participation, and work. Accra, the capital city of Ghana, West Africa, has not usually been referred to as having a rape culture. However, there exists extensive research on sexual assault and rape in Ghana and general attitudes towards the canker. From this extensive research on rape in Ghana, I research patterns in general Ghanaian attitudes towards rape, and examine Ghanaian notions of gender roles that may corroborate the reasons behind the patterns discovered in order to establish the possibility of a rape culture in Accra. I explore the consequence a gendered society might have in nurturing a rape culture by questioning and researching Accra as a gendered society. In doing this, I hope to contribute to finding effective solutions to eradicate the societal canker of rape, and hopefully, the by-product of this might inspire new, creative solutions to eradicating rape from our society. This dissertation argues that a patriarchal understanding of gender will have an influence on the prevalence of rape culture in society.