I'm making this public for a reason

I think everyone has commented on the current survey into the causes of rape. Mainly that it appears to be the 'common' perception that 'Women ask for it'. It is horrifying to think that even now this belief persists that women are to blame for this. I was appalled to think that this issue existed in 1995 when I started Uni, and now I find that 10yrs later, the attitude is still there.

Rape is not a crime about sex, it is about power, humiliation etc. I have heard many excuses for rape, one of the worst being 'I took her out, I paid for her drinks, I bought her meal, I got the taxi, she owed me.'

The following are three comments from judges presiding over rape cases in the 90's

'As the gentlemen of the jury will understand, when a woman says no she doesn't always mean it' - Judge Raymond Dean

'If she doesn't want it she only has to keep her legs shut' - Judge David Wild

'Rape is an activity that is normal...she asked for it...boys will be boys' - Nicholas Fairbairn MP QC

Part of me had hoped that this attitude was on the wane. How wrong I was.

It is still a man's world, my mum had to get my dad to agree in writing to close their joint account, if he had wanted to do it, he did not need her consent. When she moved into her new house, all the bills were initially in his name.

In closing, I direct you to a post originally made by the divine tomyris, which I have shamelessly half-inched

Because women’s work is never done and is underpaid or unpaid or boring or repetitious and we’re the first to get the sack and what we look like is more important than what we do and if we get raped it’s our fault and if we get bashed we must have provoked it and if we raise our voices we’re nagging bitches and if we enjoy sex we’re nymphos and if we don’t we’re frigid and if we love women it’s because we can’t get a ‘real’ man and if we ask our doctor too many questions we’re neurotic and/or pushy and if we expect community care for our children we’re selfish and if we stand up for our rights we’re aggressive and ‘unfeminine’ and if we don’t we’re typical weak females and if we want to get married we’re out to trap a man and if we don’t we’re unnatural and because we still can’t get an adequate safe contraceptive but men can walk on the moon and if we can’t cope or don’t want a pregnancy we’re made to feel guilty about abortion and …for lots and lots of other reasons, I am part of the Women's Liberation Movement.