After reading how the Italian Parliament ruled it impossible to rape a woman wearing jeans, I found myself in complete shock. Since when does a woman’s attire determine whether or not a man is going to rape her?

It is easier for a man to rape a woman wearing a dress, but in most cases, women are forced to cooperate.

Most women are forced to remove their clothes, therefore jeans or a dress would not make a difference.

I am also concerned with whether or not the Italian Parliament has ever heard of date rape. Over half of women who report rape have a known relationship with their assailant. This does not include the number of women who do not report rape for fear of the unknown.

Another point I would like to make is that the men who ruled it impossible to rape a woman wearing jeans are, in fact, men. They do not know what it is like for the women who are wearing jeans. If anything, this issue makes the women who are not wearing jeans a target. They then look as though they are the perfect targets for rapists.

Jeans do not make a difference whether or not a man is going to force himself upon a woman. Sure, jeans may be just another obstacle and may buy a woman more time, but considering the fact that men are much stronger than women does not help a woman’s chances of not being raped.

They are making women targets. They need to look into the issue of rape and reconsider their ruling.

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Erica Florez

Freshman

Elementary education