The argument that there is some monolithic misogynistic rape culture intent on keeping women down seems kind of bizarre to me, as this very article admits that it is the women who are the ones who engage in the most slut shaming and victim blaming.
The idea really isn't that rape culture is "monolithic," but it can certainly come off that way in conversations. The idea is much more like:
- As you identify, a sex-negative culture where people are encouraged not to express themselves truthfully or be honest about what they want creates a seedy, duplicitous environment for sexual behavior
- That environment gives cover to the (small but significant) set of guys who are just blatant, immoral rapists by giving their behavior a ready-made excuse
- Similarly, a culture that pushes the idea that men and women are fundamentally different, can't truly be friends, don't care about the same things or communicate in the same language, can't succeed in the same careers, etc. makes men more unwilling to trust women and vice versa.
- This also gives cover to that set of rapists because it means men are inclined not to trust women over other men when they report a sexual crime
- None of this is the result of a secret pro-rape cabal who comes together to make rape more possible, just a bunch of diffuse cultural factors that add up to more than the sum of their parts and which most men (being unaffected by it) are oblivious to
- And since men also have the lion's share of political and cultural power, they don't do anything to fix it
For the most part, this sort of thing isn't the result of people who are objectively-pro-rape working to secretly advance the rape cause, it's just a bunch of different, slightly shitty problems (that boil down to rather petty lack of concern on someone's part) all adding up together to make a really shitty situation.
We're saying if you feel uncomfortable in an area like something is going to happen and you're out of your element, trust your instincts and leave.
I think a lot of guys honestly, truly overestimate how many situations feel "comfortable" for many women, especially those who have a history of abuse (of themselves or people they knew growing up.) I've known more than one woman who (quite reasonably, frankly) found almost any social situation with multiple men, men they didn't know, alcohol, socialization at night, socialization in public, etc. uncomfortable in exactly this fashion because of their own history with sexual assault or abuse. "Don't participate in situations that make you uncomfortable" often means "don't go out with friends, don't date, don't stay late at work, don't walk in your own neighborhood, etc."
Also: I think it's worth noting that when people make references to
burqa and repressive controls on women's behavior, that's not an exaggeration or purely a rhetorical weapon. In societies that do strongly repress women's freedom and rights in that fashion, the threat of rape is the
explicit tool that's used to enforce that control. When women are threatened with punishment (being forced to marry their rapist or be subject to abuse or even death at the hands of their own family) for the "crime" of being raped, and given repressive controls (head-to-toe body coverings, inability to leave the house, a constant family escort, etc.) as the only alternative to keep them "safe" -- that's the road the "focus on prevention" angle starts down, and I don't think it's particularly odd to see women reacting in a pretty hostile way to that concept.