Women often feel like they are in a constant uphill battle when it comes to rape culture. Too many times we hear stories regarding a woman who was raped while drunk or drugged, or perhaps she didn't say "no" forcefully enough.

Women must be careful continuously, everywhere we go, and there are always questions in the back of our minds: "What if I get raped? Will anyone believe me? How would I prove it? What if no one believes me?" It's a weighing thought that is most always present, and it takes a toll on how we view the world around us.

Now, thanks to Gov. Jerry Brown and California's new "Yes Means Yes" legislation, these situations are changing, making it possible for women to breathe a little easier.

The legislation accomplishes what no bill ever has: It defines rape and makes it clear that consensual sex must be exactly that — with express permission. It also takes alcohol and drugs off the table as an excuse or a shield. No longer will people be able to say, "Well, we were making out, and I thought everything was fine, so then we had sex. Yes, she/he was drunk."

Some skeptics worry, saying that not everyone formally agrees to have sex beforehand. Cutting that down to the bones, they are asking, "What about the people who don't seek consent before having sex?" Well, it seems like that would be a bit of a gamble for those people, doesn't it? Would you rather assume the person you're with wants to have sex, or would it be better to know for certain? Assuming someone wants the same thing as you, particularly when it concerns his or her body, shows ignorance and a lack of respect, and that's exactly what this law brings to light.

There seems to be a stigma in American culture regarding asking permission when it comes to sex. To be clear: No one should have sex with an unwilling person with impunity. Period. If someone doesn't want to have sex, and you have sex with them anyway, that is rape. If you force someone, mentally, physically or at all unwillingly to have sex with you, that is rape.

That is what this law makes clear. Sex is a decision to be made by two people, without coercion of any kind.

Asking someone to have sex doesn't take away from the mood, on the contrary. Asking is sexy. Asking is smart. Asking shows that you not only have respect for the person you want to be with, but it also shows you care and that you are empathetic. What on earth could not be sexy about that?

While women in the U.S. may have a better life here than in some countries, there is an existing rape culture here where — particularly in college — the victims are often the ones who are blamed. Our culture, while being anti-rape, is not anti-rape culture.

Take the popular song "Blurred Lines" for example. Robin Thicke's tag lines throughout the song are "I know you want it" and "I hate these blurred lines." He is promoting the common misconception that because a woman dresses sexy, she must want to have sex.

Would we take the lyrics to "Blurred Lines" and preach them as truth? No. Most men and women would probably be appalled, or at least hopefully they would be. But if we don't agree with these lyrics on a personal level, why celebrate the song?

Roughly 20 percent of colleges do not investigate sexual assaults that are reported to them. And 40 percent of universities have not investigated a sexual assault in the last five years. Perhaps they are the unimaginably lucky 2 in 5 who don't have rapes at their school, but it seems safe to say Americans know that isn't the case. Meanwhile, 1 in 5 women on college campuses are sexually assaulted.

Over the past several years, the decriminalization of rape has grown into an acute awareness when it comes to college campuses and their investigative strategies.

A perfect example of this is the Jameis Winston case at Florida State University. Both the university and the campus police failed a female student because she said she was raped by the Heisman-winning quarterback, and they did little to investigate it. The university hid the allegations for more than a year.

California's new law is not aimed toward shutting men down when it comes to sex or making it more dangerous for them to do so. The entire purpose of this bill is to protect rape victims, to keep them from being blamed and to ensure that "she was asking for it" will never again be a stand-up excuse in a court of law, at least in California.

More importantly, women see this as a step toward change for every rape victim. "Yes Means Yes" means that people are paying enough attention to rape, and its decriminalization, to take action and ensure that each and every university student gets the justice he/she deserves, rather than the shame.

It means that other universities around the country could follow suit. It means that one day, other states might even adopt the law, and rape victims would no longer have to live their lives in shame or silence.