Keeping with the product week here at SA Rocks I’ve chosen to be fairly out there and controversial with today’s product.
Rape-Axe is a product developed by a South African as an anti-rape female condom. Let’s go to the creators for an explanation of this product:
It is absurd that women and children In this day and age still fall prey to opportunistic sexual predators. When will they be empowered? When will they be heard? Never, it seems! There always appears to be a more important issue to be addressed in legislature.
The tear-filled eyes and extreme vulnerability of one such rape victim is what sparked the design of this modern day invention. The victim looked up at Sonnet Ehlers and said, ‘If only had teeth down there!’ These were the humble beginnings of a device which proves to bring hope to women all over the world – those women who still find themselves with little or no rights at all. Why does the system make these women, these victims, feel like the offenders? In many societies these women are treated like offenders! This must stop! It. in fact, stops here! Rape-aXe is a device which latches itself to the skin of the attacker, causing immense discomfort, allowing the victim to escape. The attacker is ‘branded’ a rapist! Since the attacker will need medical assistance, there is no escaping arrest since medical staff will alert the authorities.
The reason that I chose to write about this product is partially due to the high rape statistics that we have here in SA. But the main reason that I wanted to write about this product is that rape is not a problem local to SA and it is impressive and pleasing to me that there are South Africans who are trying to innovate for the world. Rape is a problem that many deal with daily and the long terms effects are devastating, this is well known. But many people wonder about the preventative measures that can be taken. This is one of them.
There have been substantial and very legitimate objections to the mass production of this product, Wikipedia lists some of them:
It is like we are going back to the days where women were forced to wear chastity belts. It is a terrifying thought that women are being made to adapt to rape by wearing these devices … Women would have to wear this every minute of their lives on the off-chance that they would be raped.
—Lisa Vetten (Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, South Africa)
This is a medieval instrument, based on male-hating notions and fundamentally misunderstands the nature of rape and violence against women in this society.
—Charlene Smith
My opinion is that a long term solution should be provided rather than a temporary “fix” for this problem. Women should not be put in a position where this sort of device is necessary, ever. Yet the problem exists and some would answer Rape-Axe will act as a deterrent. You make up your own mind and let me know what you think. Popularity: 4% [?]
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April 9th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Nope, “wearing” this all the time just in case will make me feel like a victim, and anyway, it’s a bit after the fact when your body has already been abused and you have already been beaten/scared/bound into submission.
In this country, rape should lose the stigma so that we can go after the bastards.
April 13th, 2008 at 7:13 am
Everything – the climate, colonialisation … gets blamed for the crime in South Africa. These include muti murders (slicing off babies’ genetials, burying a human hand in front of a shop in order to attract custormers, and throwing bones to ask the ancestors for help. At the same time, the poor colonists accomplished much in a more civilized way on the same terrain.
I do not know what is wrong with Africans – i only know that the Afrikaner is in great danger of being raped and killed.
April 14th, 2008 at 7:16 am
The reality for Most women , who live in areas that do not have adequate security protection, is that they are potential victims of rape. No one will force you wear Rape-axe you know when you could be a potential victim when you travel on your own, a blind date ect ect. You put bars on your windows but it is a womans right to protect her own body and to defend her purity. The rapist creates fear and that is what he enjoys. If he kills his victim he will be in double trouble as he is tagged.
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I think its a good idea but what about the children who get defilled? How can you explain to them about “a womans condom.”
Its not just women and girls who are getting raped; its also men and young boys how can we protect them against this?
The world is full of rapists because of the changes in our sexuality; women are becoming the preditors aswell as the prey.
NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS. Rape Axe will hopefully prevent more women becoming impregnated or contacting HIV/Aids
March 29th, 2009 at 10:23 am
The thing about rape is that it’s not the sexual penetration that’s scary. The thing that’s scary about rape is that the woman is traumatized, afterward, because she “let” someone do that and the fact that someone (often times someone they know) would do that. These wouldn’t stop the emotional traumas involved in rape; just the physical traumas of pregnancy and STDs.
Though I can see how it would make people not want to rape. If a man knew that there was a possibility of a woman wearing one of these then he’d be less likely to attempt.
May 2nd, 2009 at 5:25 am
This is a good idea at heart, but one problem… think about the angry ex-girlfriends who could easily frame men with this. I think that this is a wonderful idea, but if they become prevalent, men will just start checking, defeating the purpose. Not to mention that it may entice him to kill the victim.
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