The University of Colorado tells women to use bodily fluids to hold off rapists

Based on the context I believe they did this under the circumstance that they are bent over and about to be penetrated. Which would include not having access to your purse, which is more than likely is holding the aforementioned items.

Maybe he caught you off guard and took the bag from your posession to throw it somewhere else, anticipating it as a threat in one method or another. Point is your the stance isn't about "HEY BETTER ALTERNATIVES INCLUDE TAKING THE GUYS LIFE", which by the way, I can almost gurrantee most women, or rather people, could *not do simply off instinct. That's a heavy thing to carry when you're responsible for that. Although tazers and mace is acceptable, you have to remember there are "doses" allowable, and to be honest I'm not sure how effective they are.

Again based on the context of the suggestions, I think this is your last alternative if the aforementioned did not work for whatever reason.

It doesn't have to be in the purse. My dad's 40 is small enough to easily be hidden directly on your person, but when I watch him fire it from an angle it looks like a miniature flamethrower the blast is so strong. It could easily knock down a very large man; with a hollow point, it could blow off half his head. Only problem with semi automatics is apparently they don't fire if something is pressed against the muzzle usually, which might be an issue at that kind of close range. There are many others that are very small, though, some would even fit in a pocket or a shoe. And again, the same applies to mace and a taser.