Slutwalk and its Impact On India

Slutwalk protests started out in Toronto, Canada on 3rd April,2011 and immediately became a phenomenon across the world. It all started out when Constable Michael Sanguenetti, a Toronto police officer, said “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order to not be victimized”, to a group of university students. Slutwalk took the form of a protest march consisting mainly of young women some dressed in ordinary clothing, others mostly dressed provocatively. The whole idea was to challenge the connotation of the word “slut” and the way she dresses had nothing to with her sexuality.
On 3rd April,2011 around 3000 people, mostly women,gathered in Queen’s Park(Toronto) before moving to Toronto Police Headquarters.

Slutwalk Toronto turned out to be an immediate success and received responses worldwide. Soon this protest march spread to other parts of the globe. Next in line was Melbourne where Slutwalk was held on 28th May,2011 followed by Chicago where it took place on 4th June,2011. It was reported that people in Wellington and Auckland braved the chilly weather to make Slutwalk a success(it was held there on 25th june,2011). It has been held across many other cities over the world and received huge responses.

But Slutwalk had its own shares of supporters and critics across the globe. The founders and the supporters of the movement have justified the name by saying that “we want to reclaim the word ‘slut’ and use it in a positive, empowering way. Historically, it has been used by misogynists to degrade women who are sexually assertive – whilst men in the same position have been hailed as ‘studs’ or ‘ladies’ men’. We wish to make it know that women are well within their rights to have consensual sex and to display their sexuality however they like”.
But according to feminists like Gail Dines and Wendy J Murphy : "Women need to find ways to create their own authentic sexuality, outside of male-defined terms like slut." Some popular responses have also questioned the wisdom of using the word "slut," even suggesting that "far from empowering women, attempting to reclaim the word has the opposite effect, simply serving as evidence that women are accepting this label given to them by misogynistic men," concluding "Women should not protest for the right to be called slut". Melinda Tankard Reist, notable for her stance against sexualisation of children in modern pop culture, said: “I believe the name will marginalise women and girls who want to be active in violence prevention campaigns but who don’t feel comfortable with personally owning the word slut." British Conservative MP Louise Bagshawe has objected to SlutWalk "on the grounds that it "lionises promiscuity", which she says is harmful." She also adds "promiscuity is not equality."
Now amid much controversies ,Slutwalk has finally come to India. The Indian version of Slutwalk is better known as Besharmi Morcha. Delhi was to hold the first Slutwalk march in the country at Connaught Place on 25th June 2011,but it was somehow postponed to end of July and still we are in much doubt about it.( Delhi being selected as the venue mainly because girls are most unsafe over here. It is known as the rape capital of the country.) But the burning question is, even though it had a huge impact on various parts of the globe, how much of a success it is going to be in a conservative country like India?
This march is a protest against any kind of sexual violence against women, the establish the fact that they are free to wear whatever they like but without attracting undue male attention. But what should be borne in mind is that our dressing sense is quite different from that of foreign countries. Whats quite natural for them isn’t the same for us. They can well carry of any kind of revealing dress without attracting much attention. But in India even today if we see a girl in a dress,not in sync with the conventional norms on the streets its bound to make heads turn. So if a protest march takes place with girls skimpily dressed girls it would turn more of an eye-candy for the voyeuristic people of the society and an eye-sore for the conservative people,without the actual purpose being served.

Also the march call for girls to wear whatever they are comfortable in. Now with an increasing tendency to embrace western culture, we blindly follow what they do without any aforethought, but how many us would still be comfortable in dressing up in revealing clothes?
Most importantly how many of us are ready to take this bold step against sexual violence? Many of us would not dare be a part of this bold act and would rather enjoy sitting at home and watch all this on the TV instead. Also it hasn’t gained much popularity as it should have. As far as my information goes Facebook Delhi community page has till now got 43 “Likes”.
In a country where female foeticide is still rampant, rape killings and molestation occur day and night be it a burqa-clad woman or a skimpily dressed girl, where the fairer sex still not safe after dark, where her slightest movement is questioned, it would take more than a protest march to change the view-point of the people. We need to fight sexual violence against women with a heavy hand, and Besharmi Morcha would hardly suffice for that.

Source- Google, Wikipaedia.