An Ambitious March With Little Reach
This is part two of a two-part series. Read part one here.
Despite the flowery language and hype of the press, the Delhi SlutWalk Arthaat Besharmi Morcha was a lot of talk but actually little walk. While reports say hundreds of participants gathered for the much-anticipated march, in reality, hundreds of inquisitive journalists and spectators circled round only a handful of activists.
Participants assembled in the scorching heat on Sunday morning in Jantar Mantar. They brandished brightly coloured placards reading, “walk of NO shame” and “change your thinking, not your clothes”. But it wasn’t long before they were met by the restraints of the police – who cut short the length of the march. The very essence of the SlutWalk movement is in response to a comment made by a Canadian policeman that led to outrage. Yet ironically, it was the Delhi police who flattened Sunday’s protest. This SlutWalk was more like a brief saunter around the block.
The upshot of Delhi’s Besharmi Morcha is that students actively displayed awareness of sexual aggression towards women. The movement opposing violence against women needs the support of young people who will encourage others to denounce these acts. That said, lack of support from local men and women was evident. There are over 12 million people living in the capital, but only a couple of hundred travelled to Jantar Mantar last weekend to see what all the fuss was about. Perhaps others don’t agree with the cause. Maybe they simply aren’t interested. It is more likely that the meaning behind the event was unclear. SlutWalk participants in other countries wore provocative clothing such as underwear, fishnet tights, and thigh-high boots to prove their point. However, out of respect for cultural sensibilities, Delhi organisers invited women to dress in their every day clothes to march. The question, therefore, is why use the connotations of “slut” and “shame”? Was this a protest against society’s attitudes towards the way women dress or was this a protest against the actions and opinions of the police force? Whatever the reason, the message felt muddled. Somewhere between its origins in Canada and arrival in India, the purpose of ‘SlutWalking’ appears to have gotten lost in translation.
A SlutWalk is simply not the right vehicle for change in Delhi. Rape and sexual harassment are often not linked to the way women dress. Be it in jeans or saris, on the streets or at home, women face harassment by people they know or by complete strangers. A SlutWalk alienates a part of Indian society who cannot relate to the experience of being called a ‘slut’, but fall victim to sexual assault regardless. Using this word also attaches negative connotations to the image of women and instantly puts many people off. In order to really implement change we need to reach out to everyone – no matter what their background or level of exposure to contemporary ideals.
The main gist of the SlutWalk movement is certainly worth re-iterating – whatever the circumstances, sexual harassment and rape should never be blamed on the victim. Any future campaigning should involve collaboration between all organisations working in this field. By coming together, we can take advantage of a pool of knowledge and experience, youthful enthusiasm and fresh insight so as to best make Delhi a safer place for women.
