A new anti-rape nail polish generates backlash as misguided approach to preventing rape

Dip your polished finger in a drink and if it changes colour ... you'll know its been roofied or spiked. But a product not yet on the market has critics saying it once again places the onus on women to protect themselves rather than challenging the attitudes that permit rape culture to flourish.
 

A woman paints her fingernails to make her hands look smart for a night out. But she's using a newly designed polish that makes her hands smarter than her date may know.

If a woman wears the nail polish, and discreetly dips her finger into her drink, her nails will change colour if they come into contact with one of 3 common date rape drugs: Rohypnol, Xanax, and GHB.

Catching a predator red-handed sounds like an attractive idea for a woman trying to stay safe. But while the product still hasn't hit the shelves, it's being criticised as misguided -- reinforcing dangerous messages about rape.
 

Steph Guthrie is a feminist advocate and a community organizer and founder of Women in Toronto Politics.

Emma Teitel is a columnist with MacLeans Magazine.

Sheila Sampath is the creative director of The Public - an activist design group focused on social change. She is also an instructor at the Ontario College of Art and Design.

We did request interviews with the creators of Undercover Colors, but did not hear back.

When Golda Meir was Israel's Minister of Labour, one of her cabinet colleagues suggested banning women from the streets at night to protect them from sexual assault. She protested that if there is going to be a curfew, the men should be locked up, not the women. It seems that just about all efforts designed to protect women from sexual violence make it the woman's job to keep safe.

Undercover Colors nail polish is just the latest idea; some of these schemes below sound more promising than others.

The Angel Wing Alarm

Pull a pin to activate the 90 decibal personal alarm sound will be issued with the hopes of scaring of an assailant.

Hairy Stockings

The stockings are designed to look like unkempt hairy legs that designers say would turn off a potential rapist.

The Anti-Rape Buckle

A belt that requires two hands to remove which designers hope would deter rapists.

The Anti-Rape Tampon

Invented by a South African man. The tampon is fitted with a blade which cuts off the intruding penile head.

The Anti-Rape Underwear

A GPS tracking system and sends out a electric shock that would immobilizer an attacker and sends a distress signal to police.
 

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This segment was produced by The Current's Josh Bloch and Pacinthe Mattar.