Society Debate: Can “Guterura” be viewed as rape?

Guterura is rape! Rape is a felony crime in which a person is forced to have sexual intercourse without giving consent. Guterura is forcing a girl into marriage, with someone they barely know or love. Apart from the slight differences, the element of ‘force’ in both makes Guterura and rape identical. Culprits charged with rape or guterura should serve equal punishments. Though some believe Guterura is the traditional way into marriage, facts relate the practice to rape, violation of women’s rights and gender inequality. Still doubting? Listed are the deadly consequences of guterura that authenticate the practice as rape itself. Re-branding guterura is quite necessary. The ultimate foundation of any marriage must be love. Forcefully marrying off girls portrays their husbands as selfish rapists. Not even sluts would risk having sex with unfamiliar people, unless the ransom is handsome! Then how are well-raised girls comfortable with the eternal union with strangers, all in the name of guterura! For the record, these insensitive strangers always shuttered girls’ dreams, respect and future plans the day of the fateful marriage! Which other way is there to reduce women/girls to material possessions? In ancient Rwanda, a family with the omission of the wife-to-be would make wedding arrangements. The girl would be surprised by getting ambushed by a stranger for marriage! What does this mean? The bride-to-be was just like an animal or item that couldn’t make decisions, even concerning their own life! Likewise, rapists usually take women for tools to gratify their sexual desires. Guterura says it all; beliefs of inheriting deceased relatives’ wives, no right to inheritance, domestic violence, rape…name it. In this modern era, a marriage without an HIV test is indeed rape or even worse. Trusting your life with some stranger, you barely know because you have been forced to, is simply ridiculous! Consider after-marriage consequences? A scenario: Girl A was raped by a stranger and got pregnant: Girl B was forcefully married off and she is expecting. Girl A and B will suffer the same psychological torture, they are not sure of the ability to love their children. Cases of child abuse and torture will come in. By the way, why do some men get too dull to the extent of marrying strangers! What pride will you narrate to your daughter about your fateful marriage through guterura? Moreover the cases of underage girls who are forcefully married off to even older men were ignored: This extreme case of guterura is defilement. Take guterura as a crude violation of women’s rights...and should never have been part of our culture. lillianean@yahoo.com