Because I am a Woman

(TW: RAPE) The bill would make exceptions for children conceived during rape, but it requires women to prove they have reported the rape. The bill also calls for women to name their attacker if they know him/her. As I have said before, rape is an underreported crime for many reasons. Many women feel threatened (or are actually threatened), or they feel no one will believe them, and the process can be exhausting and invasive, especially since victims are often put “on trial” themselves. There is a stigma around rape victims, and unfortunately some women do not report rape and sexual assault in an attempt to avoid this. Furthermore, the myth that women constantly lie about being raped makes it extremely difficult to prosecute the crime. This bill only furthers that myth and even opens the door for more false reports by cutting off these benefits for children who were conceived while the mother is on welfare.