Demand for Pepper Spray Spikes In India

The brutal gang rape of a 23-year old has caused a spike in the demand for Pepper Spray in India. It seems that the women of India are starting to take security into their own hands after this horrifying incident. Suppliers report that demand for Pepper Spray has multiplied five times what it was before the gang rape and is sold out at most retail stores.

A Senior Indian Police Officer recently advised women to carry Chili Powder in order to avoid attacks. K. P. Raghuvanshi, police chief of Thane, a satellite city of Mumbai, said last week that they “should not go out after dark and carry with them a packet of chili powder and throw it at potential attackers."

However, Director of the Centre for Social Research in Delhi Ranjana Kumari voiced that she believes that his solution is sexist, victim blaming, and ineffective.

Some college women who have taken part in the protests have also labeled the chief’s statements stupid and unfair. They recognize that the country is unsafe and that law enforcement is unable to provide security, so they’re standing up for themselves and their rights by carrying pepper spray. Tens of thousands of girls and women have begun carrying pepper spray.

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