Defense Against Rape
By Julie Clawson
The Time Magazine Newsfeed recently posted an article on a new defense women have against rape – a female condom with teeth, literally. From the article –
As a young physician on call one night 40 years ago in South Africa, Dr. Sonnet Ehlers tended to an emaciated rape victim. As she counseled the victim, she always remembered one important thing she said: “If only I had teeth down there.”
Thus the development and advent of the Rape-aXe female condom, designed not so much as birth control or for STD protection, but more so as a defense against rape, particularly in South Africa, a nation where 1 in 4 men say they have committed the crime.
Without really describing how the Rape-aXe actually works, we can tell you how it is designed: the device is a latex sheath with barbed spines on the inside. It is inserted into a woman’s vagina much like a tampon. When an assailant attacks a would-be victim, seconds later he finds himself writhing in unknowable pain and must have the device surgically removed. About 30,000 of the devices were distributed for free during the World Cup in several cities and will sell for about $2 afterward.
But the device is not without its critics, with some saying it will cause rapists to become more violent, and others saying it could be misued by vindictive female lovers seeking retribution. But on her website, Ehlers has answers to all those questions and more.
Regarding men becoming angry upon getting trapped: Rape-aXe will buy you time to get away, ( I know this from a patient that caught himself in his zipper. Rape-aXe will have the same effect just worse.)…
My first thought was that this is a modern chastity belt. But instead of a rusty spiked diaper locked onto a woman by her father to safeguard her virginity, a woman can choose this option to protect herself. But the reason it’s needed remain the same – men feel like they can control women physically and sexually. In the past it was the fathers prizing their daughter’s virginity for the economic and political advances it could get them. Now it’s men asserting their strength and power over women through violence and rape. The times and methods have changed but the message that women are objects to be ruled and controlled by men is still alive and well in our world. But now women can do something to fight back against their attackers, branding them as rapists in the process.
As long as women are not seen as equals of men, men will continue to oppress and abuse us in these ways. I for one would prefer the world to change and equality achieved instead of something like this being necessary. But at the same time, men still treat women as objects and rape is all too common in our world. Giving women means to protect ourselves is a sad but necessary safeguard in a man’s world.
Julie Clawson is a mother, a former pastor, and a writer. She moderates the Emerging Women blog and has a personal blog at julieclawson.com. She is the author of Everyday Justice: The Global Impact of Our Daily Choices.
Tags: rape, Rape Axe, sexual assault
June 22nd, 2010 at 2:51 pm
I don’t know that rape has as much to do with women being viewed equally as it does with a person’s psyche being so damaged or twisted that rape is a tool to hurt and exert power.
Interesting that in the same week as this “condom with teeth” was released in the media, so was the sentencing for Melissa Huckaby who sexually molested and murdered her child’s 8-year-old playmate.
I suppose as the mother of a son who was molested as a young teenager by an adult woman youth group leader, I have a tendency to see this from another perspective instead of just men dominating women.
As far as the tool developed to help thwart rape, I don’t dispute the fact that it may be a blessing and a lifesaver, especially for women who know they live in dangerous environments. But even though the majority of rape cases involve men as predators, I don’t see it as much of a gender issue as I do a mental illness problem, or a lack of any sense of morality.
June 23rd, 2010 at 7:32 am
My husband first alerted me to this trend, and my reaction was similar–a new take on the Medieval chastity belt or a realization of the vagina with teeth(the actual Latin term for this trope in Medieval literature escapes at the moment). I agree with you, Julie, that the existence of this product signals the objectification of the female body–a commodity for sex, power, and status.
With this in mind, rape is always about oppression and silence regardless of gender. This product is also making a commodity out of the pain of these women, out of their fear. I think the commodification of fear is more oppressive than the act of rape itself.
June 26th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
How a woman being given a tool to protect herself is somehow a bad thing is hard for me to figure out. Objectification and commidification are abstract and intellectual concepts. A violent bastard shoving his penis in you is not.
The condom was developed by a woman for women to deal with the brutal realities of life. It does not make the realities more likely to happen, as the perp can’t tell the woman has it until it’s too late. The “condom” is not a gun, it’s not an “offensive” weapon, and can’t hurt anyone who isn’t doing something terribly wrong. The choice to use it is the woman’s – and it would have to be a strange scenario indeed to turn into a way for a man to control a woman by forcing her to use it.
Yes, of course, the world would be a far, far better place if men (and women) behaved themselves. Until that day comes, this is no different from suffering the consequences of sticking a knife into an electrical outlet. Lesson: just don’t do it. It doesn’t belong there.
June 26th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Becky, great points. While the need for it is sad, in many ways I see it like some of the purely defensive martial arts. They are created to only use the attacking strength of the attacker against him. It is his own force and violence that ends up hurting him, if he does not choose to attack he doesn’t get hurt.
July 6th, 2010 at 7:29 am
Vagina with teeth. Scary, scary. I can understand the need. My only concern would be vendictive misuse. But I would also expect that to be rare.
March 6th, 2011 at 3:25 am
Yo, great article, would anyone mind if we quoted you in our school presentation? My ICQ is 8665334 if not
March 25th, 2011 at 2:40 am
Your website is very useful. I think i will regular visit this site for further information.
May 5th, 2011 at 10:57 am
Yesterday, while I was at work, my cousin stole my iPad and tested to see if it can survive a twenty five foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My iPad is now broken and she has 83 views. I know this is totally off topic but I had to share it with someone!
June 24th, 2011 at 9:29 am
I have read a few just right stuff here. Certainly price bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how a lot effort you set to make this kind of excellent informative web site.
June 24th, 2011 at 9:30 am
wonderful issues altogether, you just received brand new reader. What may you suggest about your put up that you made some days in the past? Any positive?
August 30th, 2011 at 7:13 pm
magnificent concerns forever, just obtained a new business logo reader. Just what may well a person advocate concerning your set up which you launched a 1 week in past times? Any kind of sure?