still not asking for it

I just read a blog post about the rape issue in India.  A lot of demonstrations have been held in Delhi, including one with scarcely dressed women with placards saying "still not asking for it".  It reminded me of what I wrote back in March about molestations in Japan: here.

Of course they're not asking for it.  Who on earth asks anyone to rape them and throw them out of a bus naked?  No one.  But when girls dress like they're naked, they're definitely increasing the risk of being raped.  We all know that men are not necessarily good at controlling themselves.  We're not living in a fantastic wonderland with only good people.

Of course everyone has the right to dress (or not dress) the way they prefer.  If any guy rapes a girl, HE is the one to be blamed, even if the girl had been naked.

But let's be realistic.  It takes tremendous will power for guys to control themselves in front of a naked girl.  Most of them manage; some of them find no problem.  But some will fail.  This is an unchanging fact unless we decide to castrate all men and kill their sex drive.  No demonstration, no law, no punishment can change that.  Shouting out naked that you're still not asking for it will not change this reality.  We all know that.

So why don't we make it obvious that we're not asking for it?  Being naked does not help these poor guys with poor self-control.  Girls, when they're naked, can be naked because they're asking for it.

I personally don't think insisting that being naked doesn't necessarily mean you're asking for it is an effective way to fight against rape.  THEY ALREADY KNOW.  Men who sympathize with this kind of demonstration wouldn't rape anyone in the first place.  The only effective way, if there's any, to fight against rapists, is not to dress like you're naked.

On a side note, I actually find it interesting that India has had powerful female political leaders and yet still has many problems regarding women's rights.