the first melbourne SlutWalk hit the streets this weekend - heartening that an estimated 2500 took part... the SlutWalk demonstrations began in canada after a toronto police official said that "women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised"…
there are varying views on the controversial name, but the SlutWalk is nothing new - its themes far too familiar... we used to call them reclaim the night rallies - i went to many over the years - we demonstrated in support of womyn's fundamental right to freedom from violence, rape or fear – i remember the feeling of empowerment and the camaraderie of the sisters and supporters as they chanted ‘yes means yes, no means no, however we dress, wherever we go’…
which makes it even more frustrating, angering and unbelievable that we are still fighting the perception that womyn are to blame for their own rape - that we get raped because of what we wear - that we ask to be raped because of where we go and what we do... the facts certainly don't bear this out - but unfortunately the myriad rape myths overshadow the fact that rape is about power...
sadly, as Hilary Beaumont so rightly states...
"Society teaches 'Don’t get raped' rather than 'Don’t rape'"
