and understood as a violation of the rights of the husband. Spousal rape was considered a property crime against a husband, not against a woman's right to self-determination. The property to be withheld in a female was her virginity; this was the commodity. Following this line of logic, a woman was (and still is in many cultures across the globe) first the property of her father, then, upon marriage, the property of her husband. Therefore, a man could not be prosecuted for raping his own wife because she was his possession. However, if another man raped someone's wife, this was essentially stealing property (a women's sexuality). In English customs, "bride capture" (a man claiming a woman through rape) was thought to be stealing a father's property by raping his daughter. Therefore, rape laws were created to "protect the property interests men had in their women, not to protect women themselves". This concept of women as property permeates current marital rape ideology and laws throughout the globe. In some cultures, marriage is arranged for the purpose of creating access to procreation (Yllö, 2016). In these situations, the parties do not necessarily consent to marriage (in the case of forced marriage) (Yllö, 2016). Following this logic, if consent is not part of marriage, then it is not necessary for intercourse. The autonomy of the wife is also often compromised in cultures where bride price is paid. Under customary law in certain parts of Africa, forced sex in marriage was not prohibited, although some specific circumstances, such as during advanced pregnancy, immediately after childbirth, during menstruation, or during mourning for a deceased close relative, were recognized as giving the wife the right to refuse sex. Rape has been, until recent decades, understood as a crime against honor and reputationnot only in domestic legislation, but also in international law; for example according to the Article 27 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, "Women shall be especially protected against any attack on their honour, in particular against rape, enforced prostitution, or any form of indecent assault". It was not until the 1990s that the ICC statute recognized crimes of sexual violence as violent crimes against the person; "Not until the last half century was rape understood to be an offense against the woman, against her dignity, instead of against her family's or her husband's honor". Legal aspect Historically, many cultures have had a concept of spouses'