SlutWalk: Women fight back against misogyny and rape

The SlutWalk movement has struck a chord with young women across the world and has put the issue of rape and sexual assault back on the agenda with demonstrations taking place in many countries.

The phenomenon started in Toronto when a policeman instructed female students “to avoid looking like sluts” to protect their personal safety. This attitude puts the blame on the victims of rape, not the attacker. Since then, women have taken to the streets under the banner: “whatever we wear, wherever we go, yes means yes and no means no!” SlutWalk protests are now being organised across the country as women rise up to fight back.

The comments of the Torronto policeman, along with the low conviction rate for rape serve as a shocking reminder of how far we still have to go to change attitudes towards rape.

SlutWalk is therefore a much-needed initiative to promote “the radical notion that nobody deserves to be raped”.

With nearly 10,000 showing their support on Facebook, SlutWalk has captured the imagination of a generation of young women who have been brought up trapped between supposed equality and liberation and the stigmatisation of our sexuality.

When women choose what to wear, we are not only choosing what feels comfortable or looks good, but negotiating our way through the maze of social and cultural values which our clothing embodies.

And let’s not forget the irony of a situation in which women are called sluts for wearing too little while on the other side of the Channel, women have been banned from wearing the niqab and covering up too much. These are all fronts in the struggle under capitalism for control over our bodies.

While the name SlutWalk has caused controversy (see inside), it is this in-your-face affront to conservative values that has appealed to many young women.  However, the next step for the SlutWalk movement must be to broaden out.  With so many cases of rape taking place within the family, any movement against sexual abuse needs to open itself up to women who have been victims of domestic abuse, who may not feel represented under the banner of SlutWalk.

These protests have the potential to be the first step towards a new women’s movement which can fight against violence, for control of our bodies and also against cuts to women’s jobs, benefits and services.

Last year saw young women take to the streets in our thousands to protest against rising tuition fees. Through the walk-outs, demonstrations and occupations of the student movement, a whole generation of young women have been politicised. Being radical and militant is not something “masculine”. Women have a proud history of struggle.

We have shown that we can be radical and fight back, and with spending cuts disproportionately affecting women, now is the time for a new women’s movement.

We need a women’s movement that can stand up for the interests of working class women whose jobs are threatened by cuts; a movement that can fight for the rights of young women to have free and easy access to abortion and contraception; a movement that fights against racism and islamophobia – we should be able to wear what we want, whether that’s the hijab or the mini-skirt!