Inexcusable: Indian Minister Makes Ridiculous Claim That Women's Bikinis Provoke Rape

In the Indian state of Goa, a popular vacation spot for Britons, women have been told that they should stop wearing bikinis for their safety and that such revealing bathing suits should be banned entirely.

Goa public works minister Sudhin Dhavalikar said that the bikinis "attract" sexual harassment and problems like "molestation."

He even suggested that women should not be allowed to go out to bars at night, either.

Naturally, this assertion has drawn much criticism from women's rights activists, who say that the minister's comments perpetuate an inappropriate victim-blaming culture whose outdated attitudes towards sex are partially responsible for the country's high rates of sexual assaults and rape.

Dhavalikar said,

Young people go drinking and it often leads to law and order problems. Our sisters and daughters are getting spoilt.

These declarations come after India experienced a string of rape and sexual violence cases over the past few years, including the 23-year-old physiotherapy student in December 2012 who died from her violent rape injuries.

Other incidents include two teenagers who were hanged from a mango tree, an 18-year-old German charity worker who was assaulted on an Indian train, a 52-year-old Danish tourist who was gang-raped for hours and more.

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India report that, after the rape and subsequent death of the physiotherapy student in 2012, rates of tourism to India fell significantly.

H/T: Daily Mail, Photo Courtesy: We Heart It