Self-Defense is a Basic Right

This article, from The Cape Times, in South Africa, describes a device that can be worn by women as a deterrent to rape. The device is inserted into the vagina and attaches to the assailant's penis with microscopic hooks. It can then only be removed with medical assistance. This may help identify rapists so they can be prosecuted (unless, of course, the attacker is willing to emasculate himself in order to avoid prosecution). It also contains any ejaculate, thereby protecting the victim from pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases that may result from rape. Seems like a perfectly reasonable, effective method to help reduce one of the most heinous, intrusive acts that can be committed by a human being upon another.

Still, there are those who may condemn its use, as evidenced by this passage:

Lisa Vetten, of the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR)
says: "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. We should rather focus our energy on changing
men's mindsets and behaviour towards women."

I agree...It is terrifying that women must go to such measures to protect themselves from rape. The fact remains, however, that merely focusing energy on "changing men's mindsets...towards women" is a losing proposition. Yes, progress can be made toward changing attitudes about gender, race, religion, whatever, but human nature is in many ways unchangeable. There will always be a violent element in any society, and relying on a change of attitude to quell the violent side of human nature is naive.

Changing behavior, on the other hand, is much more straightforward. Without doubt, the most effective deterrent to any undesirable act has and will always be to increase the negative consequences of such an act. The risk of having one's penis bitten of by an anti-rape device would probably be high on any rapist's list of reasons to NOT indulge his vice. Especially since it would be impossible to tell if the potential victim is wearing the thing.

By way of example, in October, 1966, Orlando police began a program to train women in the use of firearms. As a result, the number of rapes dropped from 34 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants in 1966, to 4 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants in 1967, with no drop in rape incidents at all in surrounding areas[1]. Clearly, allowing individuals to defend themselves makes would-be assailants think twice before attacking an individual who may be packing a gun...or in this case, a potentially emasculating penis-biter. Should it matter that the rapist's reasons for not committing rape were purely born out of self-preservation? In my opinion, it definitely does not matter.

Oh, and Lisa Vetten is either an idiot or is grossly misinformed. Chastity belts were primarily used by husbands to prevent their wives from cheating on them while they were away on some crusade. They were extremely uncomfortable, and would probably never be worn voluntarily by any woman...unless she was into that sort of thing.

1. Healing Our World, by Dr. Mary Ruwart. Ch. 16. Text can be found here.