Day 14

Rape Crisis Scotland

Submitted by admin on Sun, 12/07/2008 - 15:50.

Day 14

Related ICT tool:

E-Cards and Posters

Social Networking

Website

Website:

This Is Not An Invitation To Rape Me

Organisation Information:

Rape Crisis Scotland is the national office for rape crisis and sexual abuse centres and provides a national rape crisis helpline (Freephone 08088 01 03 02 - 6pm – midnight every night of the year) for anyone affected by sexual violence, no matter when or how it happened. Our member centres provide free and confidential support to women and girls who have experienced sexual violence. Rape Crisis Scotland also works to raise awareness of sexual violence, and to challenge attitudes which blame women for the violence inflicted upon them. Rape Crisis Scotland member centres work from a feminist perspective, recognising that rape and other forms of sexual violence are crimes of violence and abuses of power.

Organisation's Story of Resistance:

This is not an invitation to rape me campaign postcard

Rape Crisis Scotland campaigns across a range of issues relating to sexual violence. Our largest and most recent campaign is “This Is Not An Invitation To Rape Me”, which is targeted at the general public and is intended specifically to challenge public attitudes which blame women for rape. The campaign is focused on four main myths: a woman raped while wearing revealing clothing is to blame for leading someone on; a woman raped after consuming alcohol is to blame for not considering her own security; a woman raped after consenting to any level of sexual activity is to blame for ‘giving mixed signals’ and finally that women can’t be raped by their husbands or partners.

The current conviction rate for rape in Scotland is only 2.9% and although there have been some developments that promise to help improve this (including a review by the Crown Office and a new Sexual Offences Bill which is currently going through the Scottish Parliament) the reality is that until people stop blaming women, their prospects of receiving justice for rape will remain slim.

Organisation ICT tools information:

This is not an invitation to rape me campaign postcard

A major component of our campaign has been the campaign website at http://www.thisisnotaninvitationtorapeme.co.uk/ where people can find a lot more information about what we're trying to do, and a lot of supporting statistical information. Individuals can also post their own thoughts and comments directly onto the campaign website if they want to, and read what others have said about it.

This is not an invitation to rape me campaign postcard

In addition to this, we have a Facebook group for the campaign which anyone is welcome to join - it's at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=30082237828 – this group had over 1000 members in the first week it was set up and there's been a lot of lively discussion going on there as well as on the website.

Contact details:

Rape Crisis Scotland
1st Floor
Tara House
46 Bath Street
GLASGOW
G2 1HG

Helpline: 08088 01 03 02
Tel: 0141 331 4180
Fax and Minicom: 0141 332 2168
email: info [at] rapecrisisscotland [dot] org [dot] uk

The campaign is organised by 'Take Back the Tech uk', a national initiative based on the APC WNSP international 'Take Back the Tech' campaign launched in 2006.

Take Back the Tech uk is organised by a group of women's rights activists from various UK organisations who are committed to ending violence against women, and in this campaign, are supporting and encouraging women to reclaim and use information and communication technologies (ICTs) in their work to stop violence against women.

*CopyLeft. 2006 APC Women's Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP)*

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