Petition · past parliament
Amend the 2003 Sexual Offences Act, to acknowledge that rape is not gendered.
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
In the UK, rape laws are unequal.
The 2003 Sexual Offences Act is explicit in its several references to rape being an exclusively male act.
This undermines and stigmatises the experiences of many victims. This must change, if we wish to pursue gender equality in this country.
The 2003 Sexual Offences Act is explicit in its several references to rape being an exclusively male act.
This undermines and stigmatises the experiences of many victims. This must change, if we wish to pursue gender equality in this country.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/42/contents
Primary example:
Section 1
“A person (A) commits an offence if—
(a) he intentionally penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of another person (B) with his penis,”
Primary example:
Section 1
“A person (A) commits an offence if—
(a) he intentionally penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of another person (B) with his penis,”
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
Timeline
| 18 Oct 2017 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 23 Oct 2017 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
23 Oct 2017
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.