Do you know “Slut Walk”? It is protesting the idea that “Provocatively” dressed women are to blame for sexual assaults. Slut Walk was started from Canada. Last year, a Canadian policeman said that “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised.” His advice to women sparked a new protest movement, Slut Walk. Participants - some dressed in jeans, others more provocatively, like “slut” - took the form of a march. Slut Walk were scattered over the world, America, Europe, and even Asia.
The aim of Slut Walk is to highlight a culture in which the victim rather than rapist or abuser is blamed. We have a constitutional right to a freedom of expression and nobody can infringe on our the right. Whatever we are dressed, nobody touch our bodies without our agreements. A woman dressed provocatively, it does not mean that you can rape her. In other words, being assaulted is not about what you wear. A cause of sexual assaults is not clothes of victim but violences of rapist or abuser. However, using a pejorative word, like ‘slut’, to rationalize inexcusable behavior creates an environment in which it is okay to blame the victim.
In history, people think that a person who enjoys a sexual life is sexually promiscuous. This idea has oppressed more women than men. The term ‘slut’ has carried a negative connotation. ‘Slut’ usually has meant a woman who is very immoral in her sexual behavior. Therefore, women’s sexual lives has been subordinated to men. Slut Walk is trying to break from the old stereotype that women’s sexual lives are promiscuous. So they used the word, “slut.”
Last year, there was Slut Walk in Korea. Many women joined to march on Gwanghwamoon Street in Seoul. The movement protested a sexual assault happend in a field trip of Korea University. A woman had been raped by three men. Horribly, the men were her classmates. However, the blatant rapists said that she should be blamed because she had been only woman in members of the field trip. Their remark roused the indignation of many people and they started to march. The movement caused controversy because Korea is part of the Confucian culture. Not understanding the aim of Slut Walk, some men blame the participants due to their provocative clothes. However, their undesirable comments could not stop the Sluts’ protest.
I strong support for the aim of Slut Walk. It also have been attended by thousands of women and men, and debated in the media. Many feminists think Slut Walk have became the most successful feminist action of the past 20 years. A social atmosphere needs to be established where rapist or abuser is blamed and being assaulted is not about what you wear.
--Minyoung Lee
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ReplyDeleteI take a central position about "Slut Walk".
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, there are many people who support slut walk movement. Although it is one of the ways to protest, there are people who look at slut walk negatively due to their insufficiently-dressed people in public place. They say that the effect of slut walk might be low. In addition, it is also the problem to see that all men are potential assailant and all women are potential victim.
However, I think slut walk movement has a signification. I believe slut walk represents much in the perspective that protesst society to control and regulate women rather than men.
I also strongly support this protest. It is all about women standing up for themselves, showing men that we will not be dominated. Our society teaches women to be fearful of men; some feminists argue that men place fear in women on purpose. Men rape and abuse women to hold control over them. Victim-blaming is not the answer; we should never take the focus off the offender. If this continues, women will never report the violence because they are scared they will be blamed.
ReplyDeleteI am uncertain where I stand in this article, it has really got me thinking though. I agree with the last part of Brett's comment saying "If this continues, women will never report the violence because they are scared they will be blamed.", this can never become a reality. Although I don't understand how this "slut walk" can be effective, dressing in provocative clothing should not be how victims fight this, is this walk supposed to be similar to the peaceful protests used to gain freedom for Native Americans? How is this the most effective avenue of protest in a modern society where women supposedly hate being thought of as sexual objects, start to walk around in clothing that is associated with sex. For example what type of clothing do exotic dancers wear? And what is the point that people go to strip clubs? I can see the point behind this protest, I just do not believe this is the most effective mean of fighting this problem.
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