A POWERFUL ad campaign confronting the perception that some women are to blame for being raped was launched today.

A POWERFUL ad campaign confronting the perception that some women are to blame for being raped was launched today.

Rape Crisis Scotland said it hoped its campaign - This is Not an Invitation to Rape Me - would help increase the country's rape conviction rate of 2.9%.

From next week, billboards and posters will be displayed across the country featuring women in scenarios including ones where they are wearing revealing clothing or have been drinking.

Rape Crisis Scotland said the attitudes of society continued to play a significant role in limiting justice for women who have been raped.

It added that "careless judgements" were often made, based on what a woman was wearing, her behaviour and her alcohol intake.

Research conducted by the organisation earlier this year found 27% of Scots believed that women who dressed in revealing clothes could be at least partly responsible for being raped.

A further 24% thought a woman was in some way responsible if she was drunk and almost one third (29%) thought the woman contributed to the rape if she was flirting.

Of those questioned, 15% believed a woman could be partly responsible for rape if she was known to have had many sexual partners.

The campaign is supported by Jane, 25, a shop worker from the north east, who was raped when she was a teenager.

She said: "Society needs to change its attitude about blaming women for getting raped.

"I had been drinking and flirting the night it happened, but that didn't mean I deserved it. It ruined my life for a long time.

"Just because you wear a short skirt, flirt or have had a drink does not give someone the right to rape you. No means no."

The Scottish Government-backed ad campaign runs for two weeks from October 20.

Around 1000 campaign packs including postcards, posters and fact sheets will be distributed to regional Rape Crisis centres.