Slutwalk: Real Cause and No Effect!

Nuzhat Aziz, Editor Mid DAY, Pune, India

So the Slutwalk finally happened in India. After numerous debates and discussions, the Besharmi Morcha (the Indian version of the Slutwalk), took to the streets first in Bhopal and then in the capital. However, many raised questions whether Slutwalk was actually the appropriate way to raise awareness of sexual harassment. The social networking sites went into a tizzy with people discussing and questioning if there really was a reason for exhibitionism to raise awareness on such a pertinent issue. Also the fact that Delhi Slutwalk turned out to be quite a dampener, people had doubts whether this was the way forward to prove a point.

Maybe to all those who tweeted against the walk or raised concerns on exhibitionism the main objection was probably the tag ‘Slutwalk’. Some argued endlessly as to how women who would strip or scream would gain attention but this was no way to raise the concern for the safety of women.

So how else should we sensitise men from raping women? Is there a way out? The Slutwalk is a protest. Do not go by the name or what the women are wearing. The plot is lost if you do that. How difficult is it to understand that it is merely a protest? We are trying to drive home a point that just because we wear skimpy clothes or shorts, men do not have the right to physically assault us.

And this was just a snowball effect of a recent incident where a Canadian policeman told women to stop dressing like sluts to avoid being raped which sparked the worldwide protest movement.

Strangely for hundreds of those who extended their support through Twitter and Facebook, there was hardly a handful who took the cause out of their living rooms. It was not enough to voice your concern online. You need to be out there to raise your voice and mark your protest.

Some even suggested that this walk was far from empowering women, in fact it actually has a negative effect. We are just accepting the tag given to us by misogynistic men, they felt.

Well, for all those out there who feel that Slutwalk is definitely not the way to make a protest or stop men from raping us here are some questions. We promise to stop the Slutwalk. We promise to stop our protest. Do you promise to STOP abusing us? Do you promise to STOP raping us? Do you promise to make the society a safer place for us? Think about it. Or else the cause will just be in a name with no effect. And we sincerely want a change.