A Russian high school textbook urging young girls not to “provoke” boys and men by wearing bright makeup and short skirts has surfaced online, according to the Russian news outlet Meduza.
The ninth-grade health and wellness textbook called The Foundations of Life Safety, which outlines various ways for young girls to avoid inciting rape, has gained traction online after excerpts were shared by Russian activist Yekaterina Mizulina on Telegram.
A section of the textbook called “Safe Behavior for Girls” details what females should to do to avoid attracting unwanted male attention and what to do in scenarios in which this has occurred. To avoid becoming a victim of violence, The Foundations of Life Safety says, according to a translation by Meduza: “When going to a party, a café, a concert, any large event, or somewhere with a bad reputation, do not wear very short skirts or paint your lips, eyelids, and eyelashes in wild colors. This provokes boys and men and is perceived by them as a signal.”
The textbook also notes that women who are alone with a man “should be prepared for him to develop a desire for intimacy” and notes what women and girls should expect.
“Many conflicts and attacks occur due to the victim’s own behavior, signaling through her appearance that she is either ‘ripe for it’ (being in the wrong place at the wrong time), willing (too available), or defenseless (drunk, scared, aroused, [or] overly trusting),” it says, according to Medusa. “Avoid standing out among others with excessive extravagance.”
The Foundations of Life Safety also says that women should not try to “tease and flirt” with men who develop a “desire of intimacy” but “maintain a relaxed demeanor.” Another excerpt from the textbook advises women and girls to defend themselves by “leveraging men’s psychophysiological traits during sexual intercourse and targeting their vulnerable spots” if they cannot escape.
Newsweek