Rape within heterosexual intimate relationships in Iran: legal frameworks, cultural and structural violence

Rape and sexual assault are widespread but significantly under-reported worldwide. This is more so in countries where the legal system and the cultural context provide impunity for the perpetrators of sexual violence, and which sometimes blame victims for provoking the assault. Secondary victimisation of rape and sexual assault victims through the responses of individuals and institutions are prevalent globally. However, this silence might be enforced further by the patriarchal legal system and long-established traditional cultures. This article aims to theorise rape within the Iranian context employing the concepts of cultural and structural violence from a feminist perspective. Such conceptualisation will facilitate a demonstration of the interplay between victims, perpetrators, the culture and the state.