The women's empowerment march founded last year in Toronto has attracted increasing interest overseas.
Kolkata, India, held its first SlutWalk last week, following the model established in Toronto, where women and supportive men walk to challenge mindsets and stereotypes of victim-blaming and slut-shaming that draw connections between the way women dress and act to sexual assault.
"Eschewing any particular dress code, a procession of about 150 people—school and college students, teachers, office goers, slum dwellers and social workers from the US—artistically covered in body-art and donning a variety of dresses from saris to shorts, began the march from Jadavpur University in the evening amidst slogan shouting,"
writes Toronto-based
Can-India News about the Kolkata walk.
"What started in the city as a virtual movement on Facebook by a first year MA student, Sulakshana Biswas, became a reality when eight like-minded youngsters got together and pooled in their resources and started distributing pamphlets and spreading the word for the walj. Explaining her agenda, Biswas said: 'Sexual harassment has got nothing to do with the clothes one wears or with gender. We are also against victim blaming.'"
The
Times of India interviewed actress Rii about her plans to participate in the Kolkata march.
"Rii feels the fairer sex should stand up for their rights and not give in to the logic that the so-called 'improper' dressing is behind the rise of rape incidents. 'The protest is a step in that direction. Just a SlutWalk cannot change anything, but still it's a good move.'"
"The concept of SlutWalk emerged after a police officer in Toronto said women should avoid dressing like sluts for their own safety. So, when did Rii first hear about the movement? 'I heard of the protests abroad. When I came to know of the cause, the memory of an incident flashed in my mind. I was reading a magazine in Toronto where a gorgeous brunette pole dancer was wearing a translucent red dress.'"
India cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bhopal have already hosted SlutWalks. Toronto's annual SlutWalk was held May 25.
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Original source: Times of India