Rape culture in Côte d’Ivoire may change if survivors get help to speak out without blame or shame

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In August this year, Yves de M’Bella, a media personality in Côte d’Ivoire, invited a man, Kader Traoré, to his prime-time entertainment show to show how a man can assault a woman. The segment, which was recorded in front of a studio audience, was broadcast on Nouvelle Chaîne Ivoirienne, a private television channel. The stated goal was to educate people about rape.

Viewers were subjected to Traore, using a female mannequin provided by M’Bella, mounting a callous and obscene simulation of an attack. During this protest, M’Bella helped adjust the mannequin and asked her guest callous and insulting questions to the victims, including whether they liked being raped. The host then overcame this grotesque spectacle by asking Traore to advise the women on how they could avoid being raped. The guest has forced himself with the usual tropes of blaming the victim (eg, “don’t go out late”) which holds girls and women responsible for the behavior of male rapists.

The demonstration and the exchange that accompanied it were punctuated by laughter from inside the studio.

In September, an Abidjan court sentenced M’Bella to a 12-month suspended prison sentence, as well as a fine of two million FCFA (US $ 3,600) for “excuses of rape” and “breach of morality. “. His guest received a two-year prison sentence and a fine of 500,000 FCFA (US $ 900). This followed widespread condemnation of the segment, particularly by women’s organizations and women’s rights activists. They argued that he trivialized rape, re-traumatized victims and promoted rape culture.

Indeed, the televised protest was a showcase of rape apologies and rape myths that are very familiar and pervasive in many societies. Through their words and actions, the duo displayed attitudes that trivialize the offense and protect rapists, holding victims accountable for the actions of their abusers.

Through my research in Côte d’Ivoire, I have documented the harms that result from such attitudes.

These attitudes fuel the rape culture and stigmatize victims. They also discourage many survivors from revealing the assault, accessing health care and seeking justice.

Rape culture

In research carried out in Abidjan and Bouaké in 2014 and 2015, I interviewed 21 women survivors of sexual violence and the parents of minors who had been raped. It was a study on the state’s response to gender-based violence. One of the goals of the research was to understand why some cases were reported to police and gendarmes while others were not. In the demographic and health survey conducted by the country in 2011, around 5% of girls and women surveyed reported having experienced sexual violence. The majority of cases in the country have been resolved informally.

One of the main findings of my research was that the main reason women did not disclose rape to the police – even though they overwhelmingly wanted the rapist to be arrested and prosecuted by the state – was because they did not didn’t want people to know they had been raped. They feared that they would not receive the support of their community and would instead be mocked, ridiculed, stigmatized and ostracized.

The women feared that their loved ones would blame them for the assault and that members of their community would ridicule them. A survivor in Bouaké captured this fear:

when people know you’ve been raped… they point fingers at you… and it keeps you from having relationships and people keep their distance from you a bit.

This fear of blame discouraged many from disclosing the assault not only to the police, but also to their relatives and friends. And this blame and stigmatization of victims has had devastating consequences. This rape culture has served to silence them and protect rapists. This discouraged survivors from accessing health care and seeking justice. It also affected their ability to work and socialize. Several women told me that if they had the money they would move to new neighborhoods to escape victim blame, mockery and trivialization of their experience.

Police and gendarmes

My research found that police and gendarme responses to sexual violence had improved in Côte d’Ivoire since 2011. Due to reforms introduced after the conflict, police and gendarmes were more likely to refer cases for lawsuits and were less likely to re-victimize survivors. Nonetheless, some law enforcement officials still exhibited these harmful attitudes. A 21-year-old woman in Abidjan described her experience:

He {a police officer} came out and asked me, “Do you know what you are saying about this young man is serious?” Do you know they are going to send him to jail? Why do you really want to do this? Did he really sleep with you? … So, you say I can get up and come in front of all these people to say that I was raped? First, they will look at me, talk about me, point the finger at me… I did not want to pursue the case.

Some of the women interviewed did not want to file a complaint because they did not think the police and gendarmes would believe them. Of the 17 complaints finally lodged, 5 had resulted in an arrest and conviction at the time of the interview, with one conviction overturned. Only 4 of the 17 women who lodged a complaint said they were satisfied with the way the police and gendarmes handled their cases. This highlights the need for major reforms in the criminal justice sector to further improve the way law enforcement officers deal with rape victims.

Hope

However, the study also offered hope.

Women were likely to disclose rape to police when those closest to them believed their story and encouraged them to file a complaint with the police. This support has also led some to go to a health establishment for treatment. The support of family and friends was also important for the emotional well-being of the survivors.

Most of the survivors changed their minds and decided not to report the rape to the police after talking to a relative or male friend. This finding underscores the need for individuals to serve as allies of rape victims and for society to reject the myths and excuses of rape.

M’Bella’s demonstration of rape shows that there is still work to be done to change attitudes. This manifestation was the product of the deleterious attitudes towards sexual violence found in many societies around the world. The swift condemnation by women’s rights activists in Côte d’Ivoire is a model to follow and reflects the work of combating sexual violence carried out by African women’s movements.

But most harmful behaviors are more subtle. So there is a need for strong conversation and education at all levels, including in pre-graduate schools, where people question ideas about male domination and fiercely defend the rights of all. girls and women to live free from violence.

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