Date rape and rape in general are topics that has recently become more popular as products are made to prevent it and awareness is being raised about it. One of these products, Undercover Colors, is a nail polish created by four undergraduates from North Carolina State University with the intention of preventing date rape. With Undercover Colors, women can easily detect if their drink has been tampered with by stirring their drink with their finger; if their drink contains drugs such as Rohypnol, Xanax, or GHB the nail polish will change colors. However, there is controversy over this product for being a defense against rape rather than targeting rape and therefore “products like ‘Undercover Colors’ actually perpetuate rape culture by placing the burden of safety back onto the women.” Rape and the logistics of the aftermath are widely protested but still pervade society which is why these precautions must be taken.
Awareness for rape and consent have improved in the past few years but statistics still stand that 1 in every 6 American women and 1 out of 33 American men have been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. In the fight against rape, men have been joining women by protesting and raising awareness. Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is the international men’s march to stop rape, sexual assault, and gender violence. This program gets men to walk a mile in women’s high heels, raising awareness and encouraging communities to talk about sexualized violence. Another man leading the way for this cause is Jonathan Kalin from Colby College. Kalin founded Party With Consent to raise awareness and hopes to grow it into a nonprofit organization. “Party With Consent” is printed on tank tops worn by over 5,000 people to promote being able to party while staying safe.
All of these actions being taken are informing people about rape and sexual assault in general, aiding the effort against them in a light-hearted but meaningful manner. Ideally, rape would not exist altogether, however it is the unfortunate truth that these products have to be produced and awareness must be raised to prevent rape until that can be achieved.
Sources:
http://www.rccmsc.org/resources/get-the-facts.aspx