Rethinking Consent

RETHINKING CONSENT
Language matters more than you think
Free webinar | 2pm Sunday 25 February 2024

Many experts consider rape to be more or less decriminalised in England and Wales. Last year, only about 1% of the 68,109 rapes recorded by police resulted in a conviction.

This webinar will ask whether we need to reconsider how we think about rape. Maybe the very idea of “consent” is flawed. Doesn’t it suggest that sex is something done by someone (no doubt male) to someone else (typically female)? What does that imply about the status of women versus the status of men? And is the legal definition of consent part of the problem?

How does prostitution impact on this understanding? Some economists consider that what is being bought in prostitution is not “sex” but rather the control of sex. He pays so he is in control and if she wants to be paid, she has no choice but to go along with it regardless whether it is painful, terrifying, or gross. What is the meaning of “consent” in that scenario? And how does it affect men’s understanding of sex with an (unpaid) intimate partner?

What about pornography? A recent study found that 90% of mainstream internet porn involves verbal, physical and/or sexual violence, often in violation of laws against sexism, racism, violence, and even torture. How is that impacting all of our understandings of sexual relationships?

We are thrilled that Wendy Murphy, a US professor of Sexual Violence and Law Reform, will be speaking at this webinar, along with Esther, a British survivor of prostitution with extensive knowledge of the legal system in England and Wales.