The causes behind SlutWalk protest marches

Imagine walking down the street and on the other side of the road stands young women in provocative clothing holding up signs saying “I’m a slut.” What do you think would be the first thing that comes to your mind?

This kind of movement is spreading all over the world, starting in Toronto. It first took place on April 3 when one police officer suggested that, in order not to be victimized, women “should avoid dressing like sluts.”

Then what does this have to do with young women on the roads shouting in the name of SlutWalk? The following suggests three major causes for the SlutWalk phenomenon: the police officer’s suggestion, the pursuit of equality and the rape problem.

The main reason that the SlutWalk movement begin would be, of course, the police officer’s suggestion. The word “slut,” which the police officer used, is without a doubt a negative connotation towards women.

In fact, it is a typical example of a gender slur. Therefore, young women found anger in the fact that women get called “sluts,” “tramps” and “whores” when men are called “players” and “pimps.”

In addition, because the police officer was blaming women for rape, many young women got even angrier. Victim-blaming often portrays women as very weak and obedient in a dichotomous view.

Another cause of the SlutWalk movement is women’s pursuit of their equality and freedom. Women finally raised their voices that they are sick and tired of being judged by their appearance and sexuality. For example, they complained that people judge them for any reason, such as their skirts too short, their nails too red, they wear too much glitter or even display raunchy humor.

As a result, young women who participated expressed pro-choice, pro-sex and anti-rape positions. This, in other words, means women should also be recognized as individuals who have a personal choice to express their sexuality and also be in charge of their sex lives. This corresponds exactly with Jaclyn Friedman and Jessica Valenti. In “Yes Means Yes” they argued that not only should women know what they don’t want, they also should act on their freedom to pursue what they do want.

Last but not least, rape, which was mentioned in the police officer’s statement, was another cause for SlutWalk. Indeed, rape is more than just a crime for the following two reasons. First, rape, a form of sexual assault, is often used as a weapon to control women. By disapproving of them, it leads to sex discrimination. Second, the frequent occurrence of rape is making women feel unsafe, scared and sometimes guilty. Nowadays, rape is a social issue that has to be dealt with on a much broader basis. For this reason, participants in the SlutWalk raised their voices in the hopes of stopping rape.

To summarize, there are three main reasons causing the SlutWalk movement. The first was the police officer’s opinion. The second was women’s equality and freedom. The last cause was the problem of rape.

One important thing you should acknowledge is that in SlutWalk, the word “slut” doesn’t hold its original meaning but is meant to reclaim the word, remove the shame and to replace it with pride.

Now you know the reasons why young women are shouting “I’m proud of being a slut” on the roads, think again of the first thing that will come up to your mind when you see it for yourself. Further more, if the next SlutWalk movement is to be held in your city, would you like to participate and play the part of a slut?

By Lee Chang-jo

Lee Chang-jo is a student at Dongguk University, Seoul, pursuing a degree in international trade. ― Ed.