This Lightweight Gun Is Being Marketed To Women In India So They Can Prevent Rape

Looks like women will be packing a lot more than just lipstick and keys in their purses. An Indian gun manufacturer has created a sleek firearm specifically for women in hopes that it will help prevent rape, which has been a rampant and grave problem in the country.

The Indian Ordnance Factory has created Nirbheek, a lightweight revolver small enough to fit into a purse, to act as a self-defense tool against potential rapists. The six-draw titanium alloy .32-caliber bore revolver weighs only 17 ounces and features a quick trigger, which some would argue is a total upgrade from the traditional closed-fist punch.

“Once a target of rape whips out a handgun, the element of surprise is sure to scare the life out of most of the persons who attempt rape," Arun Kumar, senior Indian Police Service officer told the Times of India.

It's also interesting to note that Nirbheek means "fearless" in Hindi.

The first Indian female-oriented gun was prompted by the horrific gang rape of a woman in 2012 while she was traveling on a public bus. The attack lead the woman, referred to as "Nirbhaya," to die from internal injuries and incited international outrage over the treatment of women in India.

But many others are troubled by this new firearm. They believe that the Nirbheek is not an adequate solution for the country's upsetting history of sexual attacks on women.

“There is nothing they can do to a woman with a gun that they cannot to one without," Shalini Seth, a medical executive, told The Times of India. "In rape, the threat is not so much to life and a weapon may not be helpful once a tormentor has prevailed on his prey.”

Regardless, there have already been 100 requests made for the recently released gun, with 80% of those inquiries coming from females. And manufacturing officials said it will begin shipping internationally once it satisfies its local demand.

What do you think? Is it wise to add guns into the equation? Will this be an effective preventative measure?

h/t: NY Daily News