It is an oft-used phrase, that actions speak louder than words, that rings true of almost every campaign ever run. Words, pledges and statements become meaningless if there aren’t meaningful actions to back them up. Powerful change can be brought about however when awareness is raised, and action taken by even just a few individuals fighting for a cause.

We Can’t Consent to This is an organisation that was set up by campaigner Fiona McKenzie in 2018 to make the ‘Rough Sex Defence’ illegal in this country. The defence is a loophole in the law that allows men who have killed or abused women to claim that their victims consented to the violence enacted upon them. A high-profile instance of this was the murder of British backpacker Grace Millane in New Zealand at the hands of man she’d met on a dating site. In the UK in the last five years, the defence has been successful in nearly half of cases that went to trial.

Research done by BBC Radio 5 Live suggests that violence against women is being normalised, with 38% of women under the age of 40 revealing that they had be assaulted during consensual sex. While the Centre for Women’s Justice told the BBC that the widespread access to and consumption of extreme pornography is a likely cause of the growing numbers of women experiencing unwanted violence at the hands of their sexual partners.

Proud to be a prude

The UK is facing up to a myriad of challenges, but parliament is still sitting, and vital bills are still needing to be considered. The Domestic Abuse Bill is currently undergoing amendments after its second reading in Westminster. With Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently describing the Rough Sex Defence as “inexcusable”. In the midst of the crisis We Can’t Consent to This realised it was vital to keep public pressure on the government to ensure the law is changed and to lobby MPs to encourage them to support the amendments being made.

The organisation collaborated with London-based art director and creative Charlotte Barnard to create parliamentary logos and merchandise inspired by comments from trolls that members of the team had received. These comments came in response to an article written by member Louise Perry for The Telegraph, which highlighted the dangers of normalising sexual violence against women and recognising how women felt a pressure to engage for fear of being called ‘prudish’.

Perry’s article saw her face an onslaught of online abuse, with trolls labelling her ‘vanilla’ and ‘prude’, proving Perry’s own point. Conversations with the team ensued with many revealing that they were proud to be labelled a prude if it meant that women who are violently assaulted by men are no longer held accountable for the actions inflicted upon them.

The merchandise, which is all ethically made, sustainable and organic, includes t-shirts and tote bags branded with the words ‘Vanilla’ and ‘Neo-Prude’. Alongside buying the products, people are being invited to write to their MP, which they can do using draft copy on We Can’t Consent to This’ website, as well as signing a petition that has been launched in partnership with Grazia and the MP Harriet Harman. 

The organisation’s aim is to ensure that this defence is made illegal and that men who commit acts of violence towards women in any sexual context are tried under the reality of the act itself. This campaign demonstrates the power of creativity in turning the insults into badges to be worn with pride. The creative flies in the face of the online trolls, proving that, once again, actions speak louder than words.

Visit We Can’t Consent to This’ website to find out more.