Sacred Bonds, Silent Pain: Understanding Women’s Perceptions and Experiences of Marital Rape in Egypt

<h3>Purpose</h3><p dir="ltr">The study aims to highlight women’s perceptions, experiences and coping with marital rape as a taboo phenomenon in Egypt, a central Arab and Muslim-majority country where the legal system does not criminalize marital rape where current domesti...

وصف كامل

محفوظ في:
التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
المؤلف الرئيسي: Nayera Mohamed Shousha (17726406) (author)
مؤلفون آخرون: Dina Magdy Taha (22503782) (author)
منشور في: 2025
الموضوعات:
الوسوم: إضافة وسم
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author Nayera Mohamed Shousha (17726406)
author2 Dina Magdy Taha (22503782)
author2_role author
author_facet Nayera Mohamed Shousha (17726406)
Dina Magdy Taha (22503782)
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Nayera Mohamed Shousha (17726406)
Dina Magdy Taha (22503782)
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-05-29T09:00:00Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 10.1007/s10896-025-00902-4
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Sacred_Bonds_Silent_Pain_Understanding_Women_s_Perceptions_and_Experiences_of_Marital_Rape_in_Egypt/30455600
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv CC BY 4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Human society
Gender studies
Sociology
Language, communication and culture
Cultural studies
Marital rape
Intimate partner violence
Women
Coping
Egypt
Arab
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Sacred Bonds, Silent Pain: Understanding Women’s Perceptions and Experiences of Marital Rape in Egypt
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Text
Journal contribution
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
text
contribution to journal
description <h3>Purpose</h3><p dir="ltr">The study aims to highlight women’s perceptions, experiences and coping with marital rape as a taboo phenomenon in Egypt, a central Arab and Muslim-majority country where the legal system does not criminalize marital rape where current domestic violence laws are limited to physical abuse. As the first study to focus on this issue in this specific social and geographic context, it challenges reductionist narratives and fosters a deeper understanding of the complexities inherent in gendered relations, particularly sexual violence within marriage.</p><h3>Methods</h3><p dir="ltr">The data is based on semi-structured interviews with 15 well-educated Egyptian women who self-identified as being in a sexually abusive marital relationship for at least one year and aged between 24 and 47 years.</p><h3>Results</h3><p dir="ltr">Six major themes emerged: (1) “rape or right?”: women’s perceptions of marital sex; (2) marital sexual violence not viewed as grounds for divorce; (3) physical, psychological, and emotional consequences; (4) the weaponization of marital rape; (5) coping strategies during and after abuse; and (6) societal normalization of marital rape.</p><h3>Conclusion</h3><p dir="ltr">The findings reveal how gendered power dynamics within marriage minimize and normalize sexual violence, with serious implications for women’s mental and physical well-being. Such dynamics reinforce hierarchical structures and cycles of abuse. Understanding these tensions is critical for challenging the societal, cultural, economic, and legal norms that sustain marital rape in Egypt and, potentially, across broader Arab contexts.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Journal of Family Violence<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10896-025-00902-4" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10896-025-00902-4</a></p>
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network_acronym_str Manara2
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spelling Sacred Bonds, Silent Pain: Understanding Women’s Perceptions and Experiences of Marital Rape in EgyptNayera Mohamed Shousha (17726406)Dina Magdy Taha (22503782)Human societyGender studiesSociologyLanguage, communication and cultureCultural studiesMarital rapeIntimate partner violenceWomenCopingEgyptArab<h3>Purpose</h3><p dir="ltr">The study aims to highlight women’s perceptions, experiences and coping with marital rape as a taboo phenomenon in Egypt, a central Arab and Muslim-majority country where the legal system does not criminalize marital rape where current domestic violence laws are limited to physical abuse. As the first study to focus on this issue in this specific social and geographic context, it challenges reductionist narratives and fosters a deeper understanding of the complexities inherent in gendered relations, particularly sexual violence within marriage.</p><h3>Methods</h3><p dir="ltr">The data is based on semi-structured interviews with 15 well-educated Egyptian women who self-identified as being in a sexually abusive marital relationship for at least one year and aged between 24 and 47 years.</p><h3>Results</h3><p dir="ltr">Six major themes emerged: (1) “rape or right?”: women’s perceptions of marital sex; (2) marital sexual violence not viewed as grounds for divorce; (3) physical, psychological, and emotional consequences; (4) the weaponization of marital rape; (5) coping strategies during and after abuse; and (6) societal normalization of marital rape.</p><h3>Conclusion</h3><p dir="ltr">The findings reveal how gendered power dynamics within marriage minimize and normalize sexual violence, with serious implications for women’s mental and physical well-being. Such dynamics reinforce hierarchical structures and cycles of abuse. Understanding these tensions is critical for challenging the societal, cultural, economic, and legal norms that sustain marital rape in Egypt and, potentially, across broader Arab contexts.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Journal of Family Violence<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10896-025-00902-4" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10896-025-00902-4</a></p>2025-05-29T09:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.1007/s10896-025-00902-4https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Sacred_Bonds_Silent_Pain_Understanding_Women_s_Perceptions_and_Experiences_of_Marital_Rape_in_Egypt/30455600CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/304556002025-05-29T09:00:00Z
spellingShingle Sacred Bonds, Silent Pain: Understanding Women’s Perceptions and Experiences of Marital Rape in Egypt
Nayera Mohamed Shousha (17726406)
Human society
Gender studies
Sociology
Language, communication and culture
Cultural studies
Marital rape
Intimate partner violence
Women
Coping
Egypt
Arab
status_str publishedVersion
title Sacred Bonds, Silent Pain: Understanding Women’s Perceptions and Experiences of Marital Rape in Egypt
title_full Sacred Bonds, Silent Pain: Understanding Women’s Perceptions and Experiences of Marital Rape in Egypt
title_fullStr Sacred Bonds, Silent Pain: Understanding Women’s Perceptions and Experiences of Marital Rape in Egypt
title_full_unstemmed Sacred Bonds, Silent Pain: Understanding Women’s Perceptions and Experiences of Marital Rape in Egypt
title_short Sacred Bonds, Silent Pain: Understanding Women’s Perceptions and Experiences of Marital Rape in Egypt
title_sort Sacred Bonds, Silent Pain: Understanding Women’s Perceptions and Experiences of Marital Rape in Egypt
topic Human society
Gender studies
Sociology
Language, communication and culture
Cultural studies
Marital rape
Intimate partner violence
Women
Coping
Egypt
Arab