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.

This is part one of a two-part series. Read part two here.

Photo credit: legallyindia.com

Scrutiny of women’s mannerisms and appearance is common all over the world. From what they wear to the way they speak, everything is analysed down to the smallest of details. This week’s newspapers flooded with opinions on the style and fashion preferences of visiting foreign minister of Pakistan, Hina Rabbani Khar, discussing everything from her favourite jewellery to the cost of her handbags. Nothing is left out – much to her dismay. Young Indian women yearn for the freedom to step out of their homes without being examined from head to toe.  Those that can manoeuvre through such scrutiny and forge their own path in public clearly then bear the burden of sexual harassment. Many believe women themselves are responsible for the increasing levels of aggression towards them because of the way they dress in public.

To counter this opinion and protest against sexual harassment and violence against women, an event called SlutWalk Arthaat Besharmi Morcha is being held in the centre of New Delhi on Sunday 31st July 2011. The concept sparked several heated and controversial debates as to its value and reach.

Why ‘SlutWalk Arthaat Besharmi Morcha’?

SlutWalk Arthaat Besharmi Morcha means ‘SlutWalk, a.k.a Shameless Walk’ and is a form of non-violent protest. 19 year old Umang Sabharwal is organising the protest in the capital this weekend, hot on the heels of Bhopal hosting the country’s first Bersharmi Morcha on 17 July 2011. The concept is modelled on similar events in various different countries named ‘SlutWalks’ which have attracted worldwide attention. The first SlutWalk was held earlier this year in Canada after a Toronto police officer commented that ‘women should avoid dressing up as sluts in order to not be victimized.’ Indian organisers have changed the title and style of the event to keep it in tune with India’s conservative social values. Nonetheless, does using word “shameless” not suggest that women have something to be ashamed of in the first place?

How is the word ‘slut’ perceived in India?

While the SlutWalk movement gained momentum in the West, many in India were not very forthcoming in accepting this event. The word ‘slut’ is not part of daily vocabulary for the majority of Indians, nor is dressing provocatively to prove a point common practice. The event is no doubt directed towards the worthy cause of raising awareness of violence against women, but method and more importantly the choice of wording could prove a hindrance in gathering wide support.

“I agree with the cause, but the packaging is wrong,” says Dr. Ranjana Kumari, Director of CSR. “I try to counsel students not to alienate the majority of Indian women. The Indian feminist movement took many decades to recover from the damage caused by the American bra-tossing campaigns. Let us not ape the West unnecessarily and trivialise our fight.”

Will this Sunday’s Besharmi Morcha in Delhi  really make people sit up and take action, or will it claim its five minutes of fame then be quickly forgotten?

Whether women dress skimpily or cover up from head to toe, they are still subjected to harassment. The majority of Indian male mindsets are so drenched in patriarchal and conservative tradition that a walk by only a small margin of the country’s vast population will evidently struggle to make a substantial impact. The lukewarm response given to the protest in Bhopal two weeks ago, where only 50 people turned up, is an indicator of the lack of support Sunday’s walk in Delhi is likely to suffer from. A movement in protest of violence against women will become successful only when women and men of all ages and walks of life come forward and loudly condemn violence. It remains to be seen whether the SlutWalk Arthaat Besharmi Morcha this weekend will have any effect whatsoever, or at least any positive effects.

I Stand for Safe Delhi, CSR’s latest public campaign, brings awareness and knowledge to the streets in hope of transforming the streets. The campaign focuses on socially sensitive topics of women’s safety in public spaces, sexual harassment and gender-based violence in an effort to change mindsets and urge action taking on the part of bystanders who often turn a blind eye.

We’d been preparing all week: Painting signs and designing pamphlets; calling volunteers and the media; designing makeup and props; securing police permission and scouting locations; and writing and rehearsing CSR’s first major street play appearance.

Finally, on June 2^nd, our office team joined up with volunteers and community friends to kick off the campaign in the densely populated central Sarojini Nagar (market). More than 60 volunteers gathered in “I Stand for Safe Delhi” shirts while chanting encouragement to the crowd and carrying signs with different statements, including “Safety, My Right!”, “Speak Up” and “Choose Courage”, among others. Just down the street, even more volunteers were preparing makeup, costumes and props for their secret street play.

Bearing the bold sign “Stand, Speak, Act”, CSR Director Dr. Ranjana Kumari led the procession with volunteers and CSR team members following and chanting their way down the market road. The volunteers then came to a halt and formed a large circle in the centre of the market: Covering their eyes and mouths with black blindfolds, the volunteers represented the general population in Delhi, who so often turn their eyes and keep silent when they witness someone being hurt or harassed in public.

In costumes and elaborate makeup and armed with a range of props, the I Stand for Safe Delhi acting troupe—composed of CSR staff members, interns, volunteers and friends from the community—ran, danced and stomped their way to the centre of our makeshift stage. For the next five minutes, the crowd was engrossed and quieter than we’ve ever seen 500 congregating Delhiites before! The troupe performed three lively and powerful short plays about sexual harassment of women under three common settings; a marketplace, a public transit bus and a dark street during night time.

Contrasted to a conventional theatre or auditorium, the roundabout theatre we created that day was simple and low budget, yet still able to attract a surprisingly vast and focused crowd from all ends of the street. Believe it or not, our biggest shock was just how polite and attentive our makeshift audience remained throughout: Even after the plays had ended, hundreds of observers continued standing in place while transfixed and silent, waiting for more! Equally mesmerized, to our delight (and let’s be honest, surprise), were the local police. They actively engaged in discussions with volunteers between scenes and warmly applauded at the “curtain close” marked by the fall of a bleeding victim.

To capitalize on the audience’s interest, we ended by distributing flyers and pamphlets detailing how victims and bystanders of sexual harassment can safely and effectively take action in such a situation.

Stay tuned for news about more I Stand for Safe Delhi street play performances: We’re in talks to partner up with a few of our favorite educational institutions and community-based organisations to take I Stand for Safe Delhi across the city.

As Delhi commuters eager to start their weekends rushed home on May 6, the local organization “Please Mend the Gap” staged their second “flash mob” with volunteers and activists—including many of our very own staff members and interns—calling to end sexual harassment on the Delhi Metro and promote gender equality in public spaces. For this flash mob event, more than 40 supporters donned yellow t-shirts with colourful slogans like “Real Men Respect Women” and “Share Don’t Stare” before lining up for thousands of passengers to watch at Rajiv Chowk, Yamuna Bank and other Blue Line metro stations across Delhi.

The Please Mend the Gap movement was started just earlier this year by a small group of determined individuals who decided that it was time for people to learn to respect their fellow public transportation passengers, sharing spaces and not just “minding” the gap but “mending” the (gender) gap, too.

With more and more women living independent lives and working away from home, many face uncomfortable journeys around the city as they commute. Simply getting home after work should not be an added trial at the end of a long day; men should be able to share public spaces with women without subjecting them to stares, groping, harassment and assault.

To find out more about upcoming flash mobs and gatherings, visit Please Mend the Gap’s Facebook page. Hopefully we’ll see some of you at the next event!