PrettyLittleThing launches campaign targeting sexual assault of women

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Mar 9, 2022

Boohoo-owned label PrettyLittleThing is partnering with anti-rape charities for a new campaign that aims to counter the idea that women who dress provocatively are “asking for it”.

The #MyDressDoesntMeanYes campaign was unveiled for International Women’s Day this week but will continue with a focus on “every other day”. The company said it’s committed to "stamping out the stigma that what you wear gives someone else the rights to your body. Society must do better”.

The company said the campaign was driven by research that shows 55% of men believe that "the more revealing the clothes a woman wears, the more likely it is that she will be harassed or assaulted”.

It added that “over the last 20 years, studies in the United States and across the world, have found that psychiatrists, judges, jurors, and students believe that a woman wearing a revealing outfit is more likely to be attacked or sexually harassed than a modestly dressed woman, and if attacked, that she is partially responsible for her assault, and her attacker is less culpable.

Society must do better, and break down this stigma of female dressing ever meaning yes”.

There was a notorious case in the UK in the 1980s in which a judge let a rapist off and spoke of "contributory negligence" when a woman was attacked while hitchhiking. 

To draw attention to these stats and help charities supporting sexual violence victims, PLT said it’s launching the campaign in partnership with charities across the globe. 

As part of this it’s offering a slogan tote bag with the message #MyDressDoesntMeanYes and a selected range of dresses for which 100% of profits go to charities providing infrastructure support to victims of rape and sexual abuse. The donation period continues until March 15.