20 January,2022 04:07 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Representational photo/istock
The Delhi High Court is hearing a petition challenging the validity of the exception to Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code, which does not consider forceful sexual intercourse by a man with his wife as rape, if the wife is over 15 years of age. It brings to light the immunity granted in law for sexual violence against women and disregard of consent within marriage.
Meanwhile, as the debate unfolds, several men - and a few women - on Twitter have started calling for #MarriageStrike.
What is this hashtag about?
The trend was supposedly started by the âSave India Family Foundation', a men's rights activism group, which believes the criminalising of marital rape will be misused by women. "False allegations are not a joke. They have caused severe mental trauma in millions of men," it stated.
Calling out the misogyny of #MarriageStrike
There has been backlash against the hashtag too. Several questioned the intentions of men threatening to go on a marriage strike, in both sombre and humourous tones.
Support for the hashtag
In various tweets that have emerged on the hashtag over the last two days, men say they will stay away from marriage because, according to them, the institution only favours the rights of women -
A few women tweeted in favour of the hashtag -
