Pearltect: The Ultimate Anti-Rape Bracelet

One of the biggest concerns of every woman travelling abroad alone is security. When you do not have any male individual with you, be it your boyfriend, husband, brother, father or whoever else you may count on, you really have to stay alert. This is especially true when you end up in the unknown city where you don’t know which districts are less female friendly.

I thank god that during my travels, I have never encountered a dangerous situation. Maybe this was because I followed other travellers’ advice about where not to go alone during the night. But more likely, I was just lucky not to end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even an experienced traveller can end up in an unpleasant circumstance.

That’s why I I was thrilled to learn about a Dutch invention, which I find really useful for travelling women. At the end of May, I visited the Philips Innovation Award 2015 final event in Rotterdam, in which 5 student start-ups were competing for a monetary prize and the ability to call themselves the most innovative student start-up of the year. The winner of the competition was a start-up called Pearltect, which produces a bracelet protecting individuals against sexual violence.

Once activated, the bracelet spreads a terrible smell that discourages the sexual attacker, and a chemical marker that can be used to find the attacker even months later.

While the most common self-defense products among the women have previously been pepper spray or tear gas, which both occupy some space in your purse, the Pearltect bracelet is a revolutionary invention. It combines good looks with functionality. The bracelet can be easily activated by the shocked wearer in a dangerous situation. Once activated, the bracelet spreads a terrible smell that discourages the sexual attacker, and a chemical marker that can be used to find the attacker even months later. Basically, it includes the natural self-defense mechanisms of a skunk.

Although the Pearltect bracelet is not for sale yet, people can start pre-ordering it now. On the website, you’ll be asked how much you’d like to pay for it. If you pay more, you’ll get a bracelet made from better materials (although the smelly substance always remains the same). The company also aims to help women in the developing world by letting you donate some of the money spent on your purchase toward providing poor women with these self-defense bracelets.

Activating the bracelet seems much easier than rummaging through your bag for pepper spray–and the  seconds really do count in this kind of circumstance.

Photo by Unsplash.