The gender struggle in the United States is waging a very intense battle today. On the one hand there are the states where the view that the woman is the one who has the right to make the decisions that affect her body prevails, and on the other there are a handful that promote draconian laws, retrograde and clinging to restrict freedom of choice.
As a result of this clash of forces, initiatives arise that lead us to think that all is not lost. California, for example, recently approved a very advanced measure that may be a bit uncomfortable in the eyes of the macho culture: secretly removing the condom, without the partner knowing, during the course of sex will be considered another form of sex. sexual assault, also classified as a crime.
California thus becomes the first US state to adopt this step in defense of women’s rights.
Resistance to condom use is not alien to our communities. There is a deeply rooted macho, archaic and unjustified concept that is detrimental to women’s reproductive health. Unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases are some of the consequences of not wanting to use a condom.
For four years, the Californian legislator Cristina García had to fight to carry out this project in the state Legislature. Precisely what motivated her to propose was seeing a lot of misogynistic comments online where men encouraged others to remove their condoms to show off male dominance.
It is incredible that in the middle of the century 21 these kinds of thoughts still exist. But now they will have to think twice because the victims will be able to report what happened and demand rewards for the damage caused, whether physical or psychological.
With this progressive step, the women’s struggle is expected to gain strength. to project the measure nationwide. Hopefully other states and also the federal Congress adopt similar laws to prevent further violence against women’s privacy.
An investigation determined that 12% of Women in the United States have experienced “stealthing”, a term used to describe removing the condom without the partner’s permission.
We have to be constantly on top of the fight for reproductive rights. Let us support women, let us recognize once and for all the right to say “no”, the right to say “this is my body and I decide”. Sexual relations must be consensual.
The use of force, deception or any other form that violates the physical and mental integrity of A woman has to punish herself with the weight of the law.
The United States must follow in the footsteps of other nations such as England, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and New Zealand where “stealthing” is criminalized.